War and Serenity
by Michael Weyer
Summary: Needing a quick charter, Han, Luke and Leia decide to handle a run-down freighter named Serenity, unaware of its unique crew. SW/Firefly crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**War & Serenity**

**By Michael Weyer**

**Star Wars created by George Lucas, owned by Lucasfilm**

**Firefly/Serenity created by Joss Whedon, owned by Mutant Enemy.**

**Timeline wise, takes place a year after Episode IV and in between the Firefly series and the movie Serenity.**

**This was kicking around my head for a while, thought I'd try to get it out with at least the start to see if it generated interest. As you can see, some shifts to the Firefly characters but hoping I can still capture the spirit of things. All reviews welcomed.**

**Finding a Charter**

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The mention of the name Dantoine brought unpleasant memories for Leia Organa. It had nothing to do with the planet itself but rather her own world. She still remembered that moment when Grand Moff Tarkin had threatened to destroy Alderann unless Leia told him the location of the Rebel base. She was desperate, her world and all on it on the line and said the first planet that came to mind. It was no use, of course as Tarkin had the Death Star annihilate Alderann anyway.

It wasn't just the memory of her own world destroyed that pained Leia. It was guilt over what would have happened if Tarkin had believed her, that an innocent world would have shared the same fate as Alderann. Even worse was how she might have taken it.

But working with the Rebel Alliance meant facing hard choices and moments and she had to work with it. So if this meant a trip to Dantoine, so be it. For the good of the galaxy, she was willing to put up with her own feelings. Not to mention, her traveling companions.

"Nice planet," Han Solo remarked as they walked down the pavement around the main city. "Must have been a gorgeous place…four thousand years ago."

Leia glared at him. She was clad in a dark brown jumpsuit with a bulky jacket vest, her brown hair done under a short cap, just another face in the crowd. Beside her, Luke Skywalker wore a similar outfit save for the belt containing large pouches, one enough to hide his light saber. Han was in his usual black pants and vest over white shirt with his quick-draw holster at his side. In all, they were simply three normal people among the crowds of visitors at the city port, no hint of the Alliance around them.

"It's a very important planet due to its neutrality and low Imperial presence," Leia told the smuggler in her cool tone. "Just because it's not flashy doesn't make it less vital to the Alliance."

"Yeah, well, I don't take to places that seem too quiet," Han said. "I can handle a place like Mos Eisley. You got guys who want to kill you all over, you know where you stand. Here, no telling when someone may want to take a shot at you."

"I thought you thought that way wherever you went, Han," Luke said.

"I'm used to handling myself, kid," Han told him. "Me and Chewie but not other people. If you or the princess here get into some mess, I may not know about it in time to help."

Leia glared at him. "I'm not exactly helpless, Han."

"I'll vouch for that," Luke said as he glanced about. "Although I do agree that the faster we're off this planet the better." He looked back at Han. "You sure Chewbacca can keep the droids safe?"

Han snorted. "The only danger is Goldenrod talking Chewie's ears off and him trying to rip his head off in return. They'll meet us when we get a ship, which is still a stupid waste."

"Han…"

"Why could we not use the Falcon? It's the fastest ship in the fleet and you know it! It can make the jump from here to Corellia in no time!"

"It's too high profile," Leia told him for the fifth time. "The Imperials have identified it as part of the Alliance."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," Han grunted. "You're really making it hard for me and Chewie to get work outside the Rebels, princess." He raised his eyebrows. "Or is that your goal?"

Leia's own eyes rolled. "Those delusions are going to get you into trouble some day, flyboy."

"Han," Luke interjected. "It's important to keep as low a profile as we can here. We got the supplies we needed and the new contacts for financial backing. All we need is a ship that's not on every Imperial watch list. A simple ship, a simple crew who won't ask questions."

"I used to be that type of guy," Han pointed out. "Then I got a job that turned out to be nowhere near as simple as I wanted and now I've got a massive bounty on my head."

"Relax, Han," Luke said. "All we need is a flight out. So use that experience you always brag about and find us the right ship for it."

Han sighed as they walked about toward the main space port. "We need something unobtrusive, that's for sure. Quick but not flashy, something we can use to get out and under Imperial sights."

"And someone who won't ask too many questions," Luke pointed out.

"Not sure who we can get for the credits," Han remarked. "You know, princess, you're going to have to start loosening up your wallets if you want to win this thing. Wars don't come cheap, you have to spread the wealth around."

"It takes more than money to win a war, Solo," Leia snapped.

Han snorted. "Yeah, tell the Empire that."

"Ya'all looking for a ride?" The trio stopped and looked over to the source of the voice. It was a young woman who appeared even younger than Leia with brown hair framing a pretty face filled with a bright and energetic smile. She wore a nice dress with a parasol set on one shoulder which she twirled around as he leaned back in a reclining chair.

"We are," Leia said as she stepped toward the girl. "As long as it's a dependable ride."

"Oh, Serenity is dependable, don't you doubt it," the girl said, her smile growing as she rose to her feet. "And her captain will keep it flying wherever you want to go with as little fuss as you can ask for."

"Can we meet with him?" Leia asked. "We'd like to take off as soon as we can."

"Sure shooting!" the woman said as she led them toward a nearby bay. "He should be willing to take on passengers, long as you can pay us right."

"We've got the money," Han said as they entered the bay. "As long as the ship's good, we can find…." He stopped along with Leia and Luke as they stared at the ship occupying the docking bay.

For years, Han Solo had put up with people taking in the Millennium Falcon and immediately asking if it could even get off the ground, let alone fly wherever was needed. He was used to people judging his ship by its seemingly decrepit appearance and deciding whether or not it was space worthy. For the first time ever, he knew how that reaction felt.

Sitting in the bay was a large carrier ship with outsized engines framing a long wedge shape with a larger rear. The front part was shaped almost like a bird…a rather old bird. The plating was clearly falling apart in some places and it looked as if it hadn't seen new paint in at least a decade. A large ramp way slid down to the ground showing an open bay. On one side was a large painted sun and the word **_Serenity_**.

"That's it?" Leia demanded in shock. "That is your grand ship?"

"A Firefly?" Han laughed. "I thought they stopped making those clunkers before the Clone Wars!"

"Hey!" the girl said, wrinkling her nose with a frown. "She's a lot better than she looks! She'll make it a couple points past light speed and is really maneuverable. Plus, she's pretty well stocked, full kitchen, nice bunks, all you need for an easygoing voyage."

Han and Leia seemed dubious but Luke was examining the freighter with a more assuming air. "It can get us to Corellia?"

"And back with no problem!" the girl beamed. "Trust me, I'm the mechanic, I keep this sweetie running easy and simple!"

"Kaylee!" The four turned to see a man tromping down the ramp way. He was athletic and with a strong build, short dark hair and an unshaven face, clad in dark pants and a yellow shirt. "The main thruster's spitting oil again!"

"Did you remove the clamp?" the young woman asked with a resigned sigh. "I keep telling you, Jayne, you can't remove the clamp."

"I needed it to clean Vera."

"You can use any other oil can in the workshop."

"Ain't but one at the moment, remember?"

Kaylee sighed but turned her smile back on the trio. "Sorry, little mechanical difficulties, be fixed in a jiff!"

The man named Jayne noticed the group for the first time. "Who are they?"

"New passengers."

"Yeah, cause our old ones worked out just ducky," Jayne muttered. He shook his head. "I'll let the captain know but you know how he gets at times." He headed in to move toward a communicator. Kaylee closed her parasol as she headed in as well. "Just wait here, the captain will be right on out!"

"Are you sure we shouldn't find another ship?" Leia asked.

"We're already here, let's see how it works out," Luke told her. His attention was caught by a pair of figures coming out of the ship and down the ramp. One was an attractive woman with quite dark skin, her black curly hair done up in a loose ponytail, clad in dark pants and a tight leather jacket. Her walk was a stride of a soldier, her gaze hard despite her beauty.

Her companion had an air of command about him that instantly told the trio he was the captain. He was a handsome man of Han's age with brown hair, clad in dark leather pants, an orange shirt with suspenders and a long brown coat. It was open to show off the holsters on his sides as he stopped at the ramp's edge, his eyes fixed on one person.

"Solo," he drawled in a strong voice marked with an air of false calm.

"Reynolds," Han said in the same tone. "Thought you were dead."

"That a thought or a hope?" the man asked, one hand flickering toward the holster at his side.

"You two know each other?" Luke knew it was a stupid question but it was all he could say.

"We go back a ways," Han noted. He looked to the woman and smiled. "Hey, Zoe. Still looking good."

The woman smiled too as she came forward. "You too, Han. I think we left some unfinished business between us." She reached up to rub her gloved fingers on his lip while Leia's eyes narrowed. In a lightning-fast move, Zoe swung her right fist out to smash into Han's jaw, knocking him back to the ground.

Leia's glare was replaced by a smile. "I see she knows you all right, Han."

Han shot her a look as he stood up, rubbing his jaw. "I said I was sorry!"

"Your apology meant little then," Zoe snapped. "Time done nothing to inflate its value any."

"Now that we have the niceties out of the way," Reynolds began, appearing nonchalant about all this. "What brings you by, Solo? Thought you had a ship of your own."

"I do," Han said. "And it's a hell of a lot better than this piece of bantha droppings."

"We make do with it," Reynolds said. "So, assuming you want a ride to somewhere with as minimum a fuss as possible and questions on the short side?"

"We'll pay you a fair wage," Leia interjected.

"Fair is a debatable subject, lady," Reynolds drawled. "Keep in mind, Imperial currency doesn't go as far at some places."

"We've got some metals you might want," Han quickly said. "And mechanical parts, which I think you can use." He ran his eyes over the ship again.

"Now that would be a fair price at that," Reynolds said. "Cargo?"

"Three crates of supplies," Han explained. "Plus, the three of us, two droids and Chewie."

Reynolds smirked. "Still have that Wookie with you? Thought you'd have found a way to get out of that life-debt thing by now."

"Ah, he's useful," Han replied. "Come on, Reynolds, I don't exactly see a line of folks trying to get in here for your services. We've got the cash, you've got a ship, if I can stretch the definition to the limit, let's just make a deal here."

Reynolds cocked his head to the side as if concentrating on it tightly. He then suddenly nodded. "All right then. How soon can you get your cargo here?"

"About an hour."

"All right then." Reynolds nodded to Zoe. "Stay here to watch over them and help Jayne load them up. I'll go check with your husband on how soon we can get this crate going."

"Husband?" Han's eyes bulged as he looked at Zoe. "You're married?!"

"Surprised?" Zoe asked. "He's the pilot and a lot more skilled than you." The tone in her voice made it clear that it wasn't just flying she was talking about. Han frowned but kept himself quiet as Reynolds chuckled heading into the ship.

Leia leaned in toward Han. "All right, flyboy. I want to hear an explanation before we step foot on the ship. Who is this man?"

Han sighed. "Mal Reynolds and Zoe Alleyne. They were both in my class at the Imperial Academy."

Leia's eyes widened. "They're Imperials?"

"Not for a while," Han quickly said. "I got cashiered out of the military pretty fast. I ran into the two of them a few years later. I'm not sure of the details but the way I hear it, they were involved in an Imperial crackdown on a planet in the outer rim. It didn't go well; there were reports that the Imperials were using more brutal measures than expected, ignoring the surrender offers. Reynolds and Zoe were the only ones who got out alive and the rumor was they actually killed their commanding officer when he tried to wipe out a village."

"They were court-martialed?" Luke asked.

"More like going AWOL," Han replied. "I ran into them a while back, part of a big crew hired for a special job and less said on that the better. Guess Reynolds finally got around to buying that ship like he always wanted." He glanced at the freighter. "Such as it is."

"Can we trust him?" Luke asked the important question.

Han shrugged. "Bout as much as anyone I know."

"Not exactly a sterling recommendation, Han," Luke noted.

"Reynolds is a decent guy, that's always been the reason he didn't go as far in the smuggling business," Han said. "We pay him well, he won't ask too many questions and we'll be on our way."

Leia sighed. "All right. I suppose this ship would definitely avoid Imperial attention. All we need is a ride to Corellia and we can move on from there."

Han nodded. "I'll signal Chewie to come on over." He glanced at Luke, who was staring at the ship. "Something wrong, kid?"

"Just an odd feeling," Luke said.

Han lowered his voice. "JedI thing?"

"Maybe…" Luke murmured. "Let's just keep it quiet for now."

"That I can handle," Han nodded as he reached for his comlink.

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"I have a very bad feeling about this, sir," Zoe remarked. She and Mal stood on one of the catwalks atop the docking bay, watching as Han, Chewbacca and Jayne tied down the crates they'd brought inside.

"You have a bad feeling about every other job, Zoe," Mal said in a calm voice.

"And I'm more often right as I'm not, sir," she pointed out.

Mal smirked at her. "Sure it's not just being around Solo again?"

She rolled her eyes. "Please. I left whatever feelings for that man behind on Nar Shadda. And I am married, sir."

"Sure Inara would have something to say about the general commitments of the married folk," Mal noted sardonically. Noticing the glare his long-time second in command gave him, he quickly went on. "You and your amazingly loyal husband being an exception to such rules, of course."

Zoe sighed as she followed Mal down the ramp ways. "I just feel there's something off about all this, sir. I keep saying those two with Solo look familiar."

"Big galaxy, Zoe, plenty of folks wanted around the place. As long as they pay us, not asking questions."

"That big a payment, sir?"

"Enough to keep Kaylee happy with materials. And what makes her happy makes this ship happy and that makes me happy so I'm happy to leave it at that." He walked down the steps and nodded to the group. "Chewbacca! Nice to see you again!"

The wookie let out a loud bark of greeting. Han glanced at him before shaking his head. "That sentimental side is gonna get us in real trouble some day, furball."

Mal's eyes glanced toward the two forms behind the Wookie. One was a tall golden-plated protocol droid, the other a squat white and blue-trimmed power droid. "Hello there," the taller of the two said in a friendly voice. "I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations and this is my counterpart Artoo-Detoo." The smaller droid let out an electronic beep in greeting.

Mal's eyebrows rose. "You changing on me, Solo? Thought the one thing we had in common, besides our devastatingly good looks and friendly demeanors, was that we didn't like machinery that talked back."

"They're the kid's," Han nodded toward Luke. "Goldenrod is annoying but the little guy's got his talents. Just stick 'em in a corner and ignore them, works for me."

Mal nodded. "Well, we're all set in, the engine's are heating up, we'd best be on our way." He nodded toward the ramps. "This way to the rest of our humble ship." He led them up the ramp ways as Jayne locked down the crates.

"Pardon me, sir," Threepio said. "Where may Artoo and I situate ourselves?"

The man grunted. "Anywhere you won't get thrown about when we take off."

"Thrown about?" Threepio cocked his body to the side. "You expect difficulties in our flight?"

"No need to expect what always comes," the man said as he rose up. He threw a smirk at the droids. "Best part of Serenity, droids, always a wild ride."

"Oh, dear," Threepio remarked with a bad feeling of robotic déjà vu.

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"As you can see, we have a nicely stocked medical center," Mal said as he led Han, Luke, Leia and Chewbacca into the stark white room. A young man with black hair, pants and vest over a white shirt was working at a table, glancing up at them as they entered. "Complete with our resident surgeon, Dr. Simon Tam."

"Captain," the man said in a flat voice that fit his demeanor perfectly. He glanced at the newcomers and frowned. "I had thought we had agreed you would be informing me well in advance of new passengers."

"We had agreed on the principle, Doc," Mal stated in that calm and amused tone. "But then I recalled the fact that this is my ship and as such is not a democracy and I don't need your permission to take new clients on."

"Captain, I do have to ensure the health and safety of this crew, something you seem to neglect quite often." Something in his tone hinted at more than his words let on. He glanced at Chewbacca as he took a deep breath. "Especially when we have a rather savage alien type among them, the crew may need inoculations against disease…"

Chewbacca growled out, causing Simon to take a step back with a flash of fear. Mal smiled in true amusement before turning to the newcomers. "Forgive the doctor, he's a big city boy, still believes in too many of the unfortunate stereotypes of alien life. If you want to pound him, feel free but make it an easy one as he is the only medical man we got here."

A cough came from the doorway and they turned to see a dark-skinned man with white hair and a mustache standing there, clad in dark pants and a blue shirt with an odd collar about his neck. "Captain," he said in a booming tone. "I see we have more guests."

"Indeed we do," Mal said. "Han Solo, Luke Kenobi and Winter, meet Sheppard Book, our resident wise man."

"A pleasure." The man bowed his head. "I'll save my welcome aboard until you decide if it's merited."

"Always a cheerful time with you about, Book," Mal noted as he led the group out of the medical center. Luke paused glancing back at Book, wondering why he had a strange feeling around that man.

Leia frowned at him. "Luke? Something wrong?"

"Hmm?" Luke looked at her. "No, no, just…it's nothing."

"Nothingness is not upon us yet." Everyone stopped and looked about in confusion at soft words. "Not until we take flight does it surround us. But the true darkness is upon the center of the galaxy."

Chewbacca felt something at his head and looked up to see a pair of wide eyes staring at him. His growl alerted the others as they all glanced up to see a young girl no older than eighteen hanging upside down from the ceiling. She was wearing a loose dress around her thin body, her long black hair hanging about her face, china-doll beauty marked with innocent and a distant look in her eyes.

"River," Mal said, seeing nothing wrong with this odd sight. "What have I told you bout hanging from my ship's innards?"

The girl looked to him with innocent eyes. "It's funny?"

Mal leaned back and called out. "Doc! She's doing the monkey thing again! I had thought we discussed this!"

Simon came out, sighing as he stepped under River. "River, come down."

"Don't want to," she pouted.

"River…please." He wasn't stern but sounded kind if firm as he held out his arms. Sighing, River let go of the bar and flipped herself down, landing on her feet right before Leia. As she rose, she actually seemed to smell at the older woman before looking her in the eye. "Pretty girl in a row….a warrior behind the dresses." She glanced at Luke and frowned. "Two by two you are and yet you don't see it. The moons must meet before father eclipse comes." She turned on her heel and literally skipped down the hallways.

Han, Luke, Leia and Chewbacca stared at the direction she'd gone for a long moment before turning in unison toward Mal with blank looks. Mal shrugged. "River's Doc's sister. Good gal, just a bit…off. Don't mind her none." He turned to lead them down the hallways. "Guest quarters are right up here, should have you settled in…"

"Captain," came the elegant voice of an even more elegant woman who stepped before them. She was clad in a gorgeous red dress that set off her shapely body, her lush black hair falling around in curls, her body adorned with decorative rings, bracelets, earrings and necklace. Her smile was quite engaging as she nodded to the four passengers before looking to Mal. "I was just told I have to make room for people in my shuttle, which is not part of our agreement."

"See, there you go again, Inara," Mal said in a tired tone. "You once more labor under the misapphrension that it is your shuttle when it fact it is mine, you merely rent it from me. As captain, I can take on passengers as I see fit and the spacing is limited so I think it only fair for Ms. Winter here to room with you for the duration of this journey."

Inara frowned which did nothing to mar her beauty. "Captain, we had an agreement."

"And as you know, I am ever a man of honor," Mal said with no trace of irony in his voice, ignoring Inara's look of disbelief. "But as I understand, you have no new business or clients on this trip so you can spare the rooming for now. Maybe you can even give Winter here fashion tips."

The woman frowned. "I don't suppose any sense in arguing about this more at the moment." Her eyes narrowed. "Not that you should take this in any way as a victory, Captain."

"My ship, I take my victories easily, Inara." He bowed his head as she stalked to a side door with a sign of her name over head. "Interesting lady," Han had to note.

"She is at that," Mal wistfully said. "Well, care to see the take-off from our cockpit?"

"Why not?" Han asked. "Like seeing amateurs doing their best." Mal glared as they headed up the hall to the main cockpit. It was larger than the Falcon cockpit, the windows showing the great sun and the controls spread out along the window edge. At the main chair was a blonde haired man in an oddly-patterned shirt and dark pants clicking some switches as he gripped the large control handles. "We good to go, Wash?" Mal asked.

"Depends," the man said without looking at him. "Main thrusters are still acting up, the hyper drive still has that little build-up problem and…" He turned to see Mal glaring at him before four strangers and instantly shifted his tone with a smile. "We're good to go for high skies, Captain!"

"Your confidence inspires as always, Wash," Mal noted as the young man turned back and started to flick switches. A loud growling sound began to rumble outward as the engines flared to life. Mal frowned as it shook harder and reached to a comlink. "Kaylee?"

"_She just needs a little pushing, Captain_!" the young woman's voice came over it, sounding under stress. There was another shake as the engines fired up and the ship rose upward, boosted on a pair of large jets that allowed it to rise vertically.

"Not bad," Han had to note as the ship headed upward. Mal smiled at him. "There you go. Nice and easy, have you on your way with no fuss."

Han raised an eyebrow. "You with no fuss, Reynolds? This I gotta see." Leia couldn't help feeling worse at the way he said that.

In the small corner of her room, River pulled her knees up and closed her eyes. "He comes…he comes…the father eclipse comes…" Her voice was lost as _Serenity_ flew into the wide galaxy above.

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**So, opinions as to whether I should continue? **


	2. Flight of Fancy

War and Serenity

By Michael Weyer

Flight of Fancy

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Chewbacca let out a grunt as he bent down to avoid the doorway. "I know, Chewie," Han said as he walked before his co-pilot. "I'm betting they didn't have Wookies in mind when they designed these things."

"You said to give it a chance, Han," Luke stated as he followed the two down_ Serenity's_ hallways. "I've seen ships in far worse shape than this back on Tatooine."

"Yeah, in Jawa sand crawlers," Han remarked as they entered the room identified as the main galley. "Not trying to be space worthy."

"Best not to let Kaylee overhear." The three saw Jayne sitting at a table chewing on an apple that he was slicing with a very large knife. "She tends to be a bit protective when it comes to this thing."

"I'll bear it in mind," Han said as he sat at the table. "So what kind of food do we have here?"

"It's the Shepard's time to cook," Jayne shrugged. "He likes to surprise us, says it's good to keep us from anticipating too much in life."

"You don't strike me as a religious man," Han noted.

"I got my faith," Jayne said. "Faith in my guns, faith in my fists, pretty much all I need to get through the day."

Luke peered at him. "Just what are you doing on this ship? Reynolds is the captain, Zoe his second, Wash pilots, Kaylee's the mechanic, Tam's the doctor and his sister is along and Inara…not sure about her yet. So what's your job?"

"Me?" Jayne gave him a wicked smirk. "Kid, I'm what's behind the glass case marked 'do not break unless of emergency.'" He chewed on the apple again as he stabbed the knife into the table.

Luke gazed at him before leaning toward Han. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

"Just keep it easy, kid," Han muttered back. "Never rock the boat, that's my motto."

He seemed to ignore the look Luke gave him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

In contrast to the rest of the dingy freighter, the shuttle Inara used as her quarters was incredibly well decorated with lush red drapes set about along with a nice large bed and couch, both well cushioned. The woman was as well dressed as the day before in a nice green outfit as she poured some tea into a white cup before Leia.

"Thank you," she said as she sipped at her drink. She looked Irana over carefully before speaking. "If you don't mind my saying, you don't seem to fit in with a ship like this."

Inara smiled. "I get that reaction a lot. I rather like it. It works with my…current position."

"Which is?"

Inara smiled. "A Companion."

Leia nearly coughed her drink out. "A…really?" She'd heard of the Companions of course but had never actually met one in person. The Guild had been around for some time but their…activities had been frowned upon during the time of the Old Republic. However, in the corruption of the Empire, they had spread, particularly among the higher ranking officers of the military who paid well for their services.

Inara smiled smoothly. "Not what you expected? I know, despite our education and our training, we still have the reputation of being…well, whores." Her smile thinned. "As our good captain never ceases to remind me."

"So why are you here?" Leia asked. "Surely you can find something better in the core worlds."

"I…have my reasons." The tone let Leia know that was all Inara had to say on the subject. She looked Leia over and smiled again. "It's been a long time since I met someone from Alderaan. I truly enjoyed time on that planet."

Leia sighed sadly. "It was beautiful."

"Yes, it was." Inara sipped her tea with a pause. "I visited the palace a few times but don't worry…" She gazed at Leia carefully. "Your father wasn't a client."

Leia blinked. "What? I…I don't know…"

Inara smiled. "It's all right, I won't tell anyone. Believe me, I know all about secrets, it's part of my…occupation."

"I…see," Leia carefully said. She finished her tea before rising to her feet. "I suppose I might as well get some food. Thank you for the tea."

"Feel free to come back for more," Inara said. "I've been way overdue for some civilized conversation around here."

Leia had to shake her head as she headed out. She was passing by an open doorway when she saw River leaning in it, staring at her. "Hello," she said in a friendly voice.

River just stared at her and Leia felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze. "River, right?" she asked.

The girl nodded slowly but didn't speak. Leia paused before heading back to walking with River gazing after her. "You have her eyes."

Leia stopped and stared at the younger girl, confused. "I'm sorry?"

"Her eyes." River's own were fixed on Leia's. "Warm but painful. Strong but sad. You share so much with her. Hold onto it or else you fall."

She turned on her heel to head back into her bunk, leaving Leia more baffled than before.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Luke chewed at the piece of meat with a slow nod. "This is pretty good."

"I do my humble best," Book said with a bow of his head. He was washing up some of the pans he had been using to cook the meal for the group inside the small mess hall. "I'm used to cooking for larger parties."

"There he goes with his mysterious past," Jayne muttered through a mouthful of apple. "He does like to drop hints on that."

"You don't press him on it?" Luke asked.

"Don't really care," Jayne shrugged. "Long as I get a ride and get paid, none of my concern what a man's life is like."

"Very enlightened of you as always, Jayne," Book noted as he washed the plate. He looked to Luke with some interest. "You seem young to be traveling this far out."

"I grew up on a pretty remote world," Luke explained. "I just enjoy being able to see other places."

Book nodded slowly. "I see. What sort of world?"

"Tatooine," Luke said with a sad sigh of unwanted memories. "A desert world, really didn't take to it well."

Book seemed to mull that over. "So you found a new calling? I can certainly understand that."

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Luke said. "No offense but it's sort of a personal matter."

"Aw, Book doesn't mind listening!" Kaylee chirped from her seat with her bright smile. "He does it an awful lot with me, always eager to lend an ear!"

"Simply doing my part," Book brushed it off. "I learned a long time ago to never turn away from those who need to unload their spirits." His expression seemed to harden. "The consequences of such ignorance can be very far-reaching."

He saw Luke staring at him and shook himself, putting the smile back on. "I'm sorry, just an old man's ramblings. You're still young, you'll see that in time, I hope."

For the oddest reason, Luke felt flashbacks to his talks with Obi-Wan Kenobi as he looked at Book. There seemed something strange about this man, an experience greater than he hinted at, not to mention a sadness as well. His musings were interrupted when Leia stepped into the mess hall. "Is there something wrong with that River girl?" she asked.

"She's…just a bit strange." Luke and Leia both saw the look Kaylee exchanged with Book before speaking. "She's a good girl most times, she just gets…confused now and then."

"That's one way of putting it," Jayne snorted.

"And we don't need to go into the others," Book stressed with a sharp glance at the man. "Suffice to say, she won't be a big problem."

Luke and Leia exchanged a look, each wondering once again what sort of a ship they were getting on.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Coming up on Sullust, Captain," Wash said as he adjusted the controls.

Mal nodded as he watched the familiar lights of hyperspace fade and the large red planet appear before them. "Right on time."

"I still don't know about this, sir," Zoe said from her spot behind her husband. "Running a job while we got passengers? That never works out well."

"They don't need to know a thing, Zoe," Mal said. "We just drop by, make the trade, off before they even care about it, easy as we can."

"That's a good plan, sir," Zoe noted.

"Thank you," Mal smiled.

"It's a damn shame our track record shows we never do anything as easy as we can."

"She raises a good point, Mal," Wash pointed out.

"Shut up," Mal told him.

"Merely doing some raising, sir," Zoe said.

"Duly noted."

"By which, you mean you'll ignore it."

"As I said, noted." Mal reached up to take the comlink for the ship's PA system. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain. We're going to be putting down on Sullust for a bit, just picking up supplies, an hour at the most. No need to worry or even leave the ship. Thank you for your patience."

He hung it up and smiled. "See? No problem."

Zoe shook her head. "Sir, I think you've underestimated who we have on board."

Right on cue, Han stormed into the cockpit, glaring at Mal. "Okay, Reynolds, what are you playing?"

"Playing?" Mal frowned. "I don't play at much, Solo."

"As you'd learn seeing him at card games," Wash threw in.

"Shut up," Mal told him without looking at him. "We're just putting down for some restocking, Solo, it's on our way."

"Don't play me, Reynolds," Han said with a hard look. "I've been on a few 'restocking' trips myself. I don't know what you're up to here but since we're on this trip, we've got a say in how it goes."

Mal raised an eyebrow. "That so? In case you ain't noticed, Solo, this happens to be my boat you're on. I expect a modicum of respect here and maybe even a little understanding to boot."

Han crossed his arms as he glared at him. "Look, Reynolds, what you do on your own time is your business. But if whatever this is gets us in trouble, that makes it our own business and I don't like the idea of getting in deep in someone's troubles."

Mal smirked. "Still that independent streak, Solo? That was always your problem."

"Look who's talking," Han snapped. "As I recall, you got yourself into hot water a lot with your antics. It's probably why you got on the run."

Mal's smile faded. "I had my reasons, Solo," he said in a harder tone. "Now, I'd appreciate it if you got off my bridge now and restrict to quarters for the time being."

"Really?" Han smiled. "I don't know. I could use a little stretching of the legs. Chewie definitely can too and I'm sure the kid wouldn't mind a quick tour of the place."

"Now, look, Solo," Mal began.

"Um, boss?" Wash said, leaning toward Mal. "Need I remind you that his friend is a very large and hairy individual who seems ready, willing and eager to go on a wild rampage within our very thin walls?"

Mal thought about it and then straightened. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stretch the legs a bit at that."

Han smiled as he walked out. Mal sighed deeply. "I do rightly think this might be problematic."

"Your grasp of the situation continues to astound, sir," Zoe noted.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The bridge of the Super Star Destroyer _Executor_ was always tense when that infamous figure stood upon it. He was stock still, hands behind his back, staring out the large windows showing the fleet flying about him. His black cape flowed behind him, lights reflecting off the black helmet and the sound of his mechanized breathing could be heard throughout the bridge.

Few men would have dared disturb the Lord Darth Vader when he was obviously in a contemplative mood but Captain Firmus Piett was willing to take that risk. The tall and lean young officer strode up, keeping his face calm. He was aware of the eyes on him but ignored them, determined to bring this information to Vader personally. He was aware Admiral Ozzell wouldn't approve but with the man gone for a conference, that left Piett the senior commander on this ship under Vader and it was his responsibility.

"What is it, Captain?" Vader asked, his head not turning an inch. Piett faltered for a moment, surprised at Vader having heard him coming. He quickly recovered to speak.

"Lord Vader….We have received an intelligence report from our informants on Dantooine. Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa were seen at the spaceport."

That made Vader turn around, giving Piett his full attention. "Where were they headed?" he demanded.

Piett swallowed under the full power of the Dark Lord's gaze but forced himself to continue. "They boarded a small freighter whose flight plan leads toward the Corellian system, with a stopover at Sullust."

Vader nodded. "Did you find information on the freighter?"

"Yes, my Lord," Piett said. "It is called _Serenity_. However…" He bit his lip.

"What is it, Captain?" Vader demanded.

Piett cleared his throat. "When I attempted to cross-reference information on the ship, my Lord, I was barred by a top-secret lock. Its security level exceeds my own."

"Security lock?" Vader seemed puzzled. "By whose authority?"

"It was labeled Blue Division, my Lord," Piett nervously said.

Vader fell silent at that. Blue Division was one of the most secretive sections of the Imperial military, personally created and overseen by the Emperor at the early days of the Empire. Its projects were top secret, even Vader was unaware of much of their activities. It told the Sith immediately that this ship had a far greater importance than a mere freighter.

After a brief pause, Vader turned back to Piett. "Send word to our agents on Sullust to make it known we will pay for any information on that freighter. Set course immediately to intercept it along any route to Corellia."

"Yes, my Lord," Piett said, bowing his head quickly as he turned to walk toward the center of the bridge. Vader turned back to the view screen, mulling over this new information. To capture Skywalker and Organa would be a boon. And yet some strange tremor in the Force told Vader there was far more to this simple freighter than met the eye.


	3. A Simple Stop

War and Serenity

By Michael Weyer

A Simple Stop

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sullust was not well known for being a popular tourist spot. The surface of the planet was a mass of volcanoes, with heavy ash filling the air and lava always covering some section of the ground. What travel came through there needed to follow strict flight paths through the clearest of the skies before coming to the opening of the underground cities the natives used for living and gathering. It was a harsh planet with harsher conditions that no sane person would want to live or work in.

Needless to say, this made it absolutely perfect for those who wanted their dealings kept out of the public eye.

The Sullustian's attitude toward smuggling was basically "don't ask, don't tell" as they recognized it was a key part of their economy and were willing to let it slide as long as there was no massive trouble.

Unfortunately, when a group of Rebels occupy a ship like _Serenity_, massive trouble is rather inevitable.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The main underground city for trade was a bustling center, well-lit at the end of a wide tunnel for ships. There were several open docking bays, enough for the freighter to settle down and cool off. The ramp lowered to allow the crew of the ship to begin to exit. Mal was in the lead, his coat billowing behind him as he paced nonchalantly down the ramp. Zoe was behind him, a large blaster at her side, her eyes glancing about. Jayne was following her, a large rifle slung over one shoulder as he pushed along a crate on an anti-grav platform. "We'll be back soon enough," Mal was calling over his shoulder to Kaylee. "Just hang tight and make sure the engines are fixed right."

"Right and shiny, Captain!" Kaylee chirped up with a salute. She turned to walk back to the ship, passing by Luke, Han and Chewbacca. Seeing them, Mal frowned. "Really no need to fret about our affairs."

"I'm a fretting type of guy," Han fired back. "You're our only ride so I'd like to make sure we get off in one piece."

Mal shrugged. "Fine by me. Just keep a distance when we get to our actual deal." He started to walk on with the rest following.

Luke leaned in toward Han. "I'm getting the feeling that they're up to something."

"Nice to see your JedI skills coming to play, kid," Han dryly replied.

Luke glanced around as they walked through the messy port. "Don't need those to tell this isn't a safe neighborhood."

"Which means the guys with the fast guns and faster draws are the safer place to be," Han noted. He peered at Mal's back. "Provided they're aimed in the right direction."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Running a galactic rebellion was much harder work than most people thought. The sheer logistics of the position were enough to make an Imperial beaureaucrat tear out their hair. Finding ships and equipment was one thing. Finding the funding to keep people fed and clothed and supplied was an incredible challenge. Keeping said funding hidden from prying eyes and supplies in the flow was a nightmare. Yet few could keep it together like Leia could and thus she had to bear the burden.

She was making entries on her data pad, glancing up at the door of the shuttle every few moments to make sure no one disturbed her. At a finger stroke, the pad would become encoded but she still didn't want to take any chances. Her calculations were interrupted when a shadow fell in the door and she saw Book stick his head in. "My apologies for any interruption," he said.

"Not at all," Leia said, turning the scrambler on as she placed the pad down. "Something on your mind, Mr. Book?"

"Just Book is fine," he said with a smile. "I simply wondered how you were fitting in. I know it can be difficult on this ship."

"I'm used to difficult ships, believe me," Leia smirked. "I'm curious, I heard them calling you 'Preacher' before…"

"More a nickname than a title," Book quickly replied. ""I don't practice any particular religion. I keep more to the idea of faith in higher powers and that's it."

Leia got the sense there was more to it then that. Book appeared friendly but she got an odd feeling around him, that he was holding back something big. Again, she understood that feeling all too well and felt it best not to pry too much. "Sounds easy enough."

"Not as you may think," Book noted. "Particularly given the unique feelings of the crew."

"Yes, Captain Reynolds seems a bit…tight," Leia settled on.

"He's seen a lot of pain," Book acknowledged. "But don't let his demeanor fool you. The man has a heart or he wouldn't be as on edge. He talks a good game but if push comes to shove, he'll do the right thing."

Leia smiled. "Sounds like someone I know."

Book smiled himself. "Yes, your Captain Solo. He seems an interesting fellow. And this Luke…Where's he from?"

"No place of importance," Leia quickly said. "He'd be the first to tell you that." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason," Book shrugged but the look in his eyes told Leia otherwise. "He seems a rather bright young man. A bit too bright to be using a ship like this."

"Luke…is a brave man," Leia said. "He's capable and believes in doing the right thing."

A haunted look came over Book's face. "He'd better be careful. The right thing can often lead to a hard result." He seemed to become aware of Leia's confused look and tried to smile again. "Sorry, just…ramblings of a sad old man. I'll leave you to your work." He turned to go, leaving Leia curious once more as to what sort of ship they'd booked themselves onto.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I still say this isn't a good idea, sir," Zoe said as the group came to the small warehouse at the far end of the town's street. Like the rest of the town, it was a shabby metal structure set in the rock cavern wall, illuminated by the large lights overhead yet still appearing dark. There was no sign it had been used for a while, the metal a bit battered but the experienced eye could see the burns of a laser torch on the lock, indicating someone was there.

"That paranoia will be the death of you, Zoe," Reynolds drawled.

"I think quite a few things we run into are more likely to be the death of me, Sir."

"Can't go through life worrying about the blaster bolt with your name on it, Zoe."

"It's not the one with my name on it that worries me, sir. It's the dozen that say 'to whom it may concern.'"

Mal just gave her a quick glare before he knocked twice on the warehouse door. A panel slid open and a green-faced figure stuck his large nose out. "Yeah?"

"Howdy," Mal said with a smile. "I'm Reynolds with the delivery for Bunjai."

The goon looked him over and then at the crate. With a grunt, he backed up, shutting the panel. There was a pause before the warehouse doors opened with a loud groan and a musty smell exited from the large building. The group entered carefully with Han, Luke and Chewbacca in tow, all three alert for any trouble. Jayne was pushing the cart and eying the assorted men who stood around the warehouse, each holding a blaster aimed at the floor. They all had hard looks fixed on the newcomers which Mal seemed to not notice.

In the middle of the group was a short figure dressed in dark furs, his mouth a mix of tusks and sharp teeth, beady eyes fixed on Mal. "Reynolds," he grunted in Basic.

"Bunjai," Mal nodded. "Nice to see you again." He nodded to the crate. "Got your merchandise here, just like you asked for."

Bunjai looked at the crate, then over to the people behind Mal. "New crew, Reynolds?"

"Been a while, Bunjai," Han called out. "Missed your lovely personal style." Luke wasn't surprised that Han seemed to know the man. He'd been more thrown if there was a shady character in the Outer Rim Han _didn't_ know.

"Just concerned passengers," Mal brushed it off. "Anyhow, got the merchandise so how's about we see the credits and we can all be on our way?"

"Yeah, slight problem with that," Bunjai calmly said. In an instant, the blasters of his men were raised and aimed at the others.

Mal kept his face calm even as his hand rested on the blaster at his hip. Zoe wore a look of hard determination while Jayne scowled with his rifle pulled up. Chewbacca growled as Han made an eye-rolling motion as if expecting this.

"Normally, Bunjai, you at least look in the crate before accusations of cheating come along," Mal calmly stated.

"Nothing to do with the merchandise, Reynolds," Bunjai said. "And it's not really you I've got an issue with." He pointed at Luke, Han and Chewbacca. "It's them."

Mal looked over to them and back at Bunjai with a raised eyebrow. ""Them?"

"Message going around the channels," the smuggler intoned. "Be on the lookout for a group that includes a blond haired kid, Solo and the Wookie. Word is that it's big time, Empire involved."

He scratched his scruffy chin. "Now this doesn't have to be a major problem for us, Reynolds. We've done well by each other in the past so we can be reasonable here."

"Reasonable is my middle name," Mal said, not seeming to notice the look Zoe and Jayne exchanged behind my back. "Just what did you have in mind?"

"Give me the merchandise and those three, whoever else they got with them and I leave your name out of it to the Imperials," Bunjai said with a smirk. "Come on, Reynolds, you know the smart play here."

Mal looked over to Han and the smuggler saw something in his eye. "Get ready, kid," he muttered under his breath. Mal's look swiveled to include Zoe and Jayne and it was clear an unspoken agreement was made.

He turned back to Bunjai and sighed as if saddened. "Well, Bunjai, here's my problem. When it comes to doing the right thing…No one's ever accused me of being that smart."

He leapt to the side, his gun pulled out of his holster. As all eyes and barrels went to him, Zoe and Jayne had their rifles up in an instant and were firing, their shots taking out three of the thugs instantly as Mal dived behind the crate for cover.

Han already had his blaster out and firing with Chewie backing him up with his bow caster, the powerful weapon shooting down another pair of creatures. Luke had his lightsaber out and ignited to block some blaster shots. Jayne stared at him in surprise before firing back as Bunjai tried to duck away. Mal was on his feet, firing away as the creature rushed out a side doorway.

Zoe checked her blaster's ammo pack as she looked out the door. "We're going to have company soon, sir!"

"Jayne, Chewbacca, grab the crate!" Mal yelled as he dashed off, his blaster firing at the door. "We gotta get back to the ship pronto!"

"Shouldn't we leave the crate?" Luke asked as he turned his saber off.

"We can still pawn it off later," Mal stated. He looked at the light saber and then at Luke's face. "We're going to have some words later, kid."

Jayne got behind the crate and started pushing it hard. Chewbacca joined him, his strength adding to the speed as they started to run down the street. By this point, many onlookers were poking heads out of buildings in confusion at the noise and gunfire. As the group ran, Bunjai reappeared with a new group of gunmen behind him. "Get them!" he yelled as blaster shots rang out at the running figures.

Luke gasped as he felt a bolt scrape at his shoulder. He stumbled, Zoe moving quickly to catch him. Han whirled to fire his blaster and take out the man who had shot Luke. The alien went down but more were still giving chase firing after the group.

"Luke!" Han yelled. "You okay?"

The young man winced as he rubbed his shoulder. "Don't think it's too serious…"

"Doc'll be the judge of that," Jayne snorted. He leaned in toward Mal. "Gee, it might be nice if we had any _detonators_!"

"Wonderful, Jayne actually gets to crow about being right," Zoe groaned as she fired over her shoulder. "You know how annoying that can be, sir."

"At the moment, Zoe, Jayne's crowing is low on my list of concerns," Mal snapped as the group continued their running firefight down the streets.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Kaylee?" Wash called out as he made his way down the hallways of the ship. "Hey, Kaylee?"

The engineer peeked out of a nearby console, her face stained with grease. "Yeah?"

Wash was glancing around as he spoke. "You seen River? I thought she was in the main hold but haven't seen her."

Kaylee shook her head. "Naw, been busy getting this hyper drive fixed. Why you want to know?"

"Just making sure she's not getting in trouble," Wash sighed. "Captain wanted a closer eye on her with our guests on board."

"Ah, River doesn't go as whacky with other folks," Kaylee waved it off. "'Sides, she knows her way around the ship and is a lot more on the ball than you think."

"Yeah but these guests make me nervous," Wash said. "Might give her some bad ideas."

Kaylee smiled. "I like that Leia, she's a nice gal."

"You like everyone."

"Well, someone has to…" Her words were cut off as a rumble went through the ship. "What the…"

Wash's eyes went wide as he turned and immediately started running toward the cockpit. He burst in to find River in the seat, calmly clicking switches. "River!" he yelled. "What are you doing?!"

"Engines need to be lit for the fires of flight," the girl said as if it was perfectly logical. Wash pushed her out of the chair as he reached toward the controls.

"Dammit, River, you can't just turn them on and off like this! What if we need to take off fast and they won't start right because you were playing around?"

River cocked her head. "We need to take off fast. That's why I started it."

"River…" Before Wash could yell further, a burst of static came from the speakers and Mal's voice came out. _"Wash! Fire up the engines, we need a fast take-off! We're coming under fire so no wasting time! And tell the doc to get ready for a blaster burn!"_

Wash stared at the speaker in disbelief before turning to River, who simply shrugged. "Told you."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Leia had been in enough emergencies to know trouble when she felt it and the rumble of engines was enough to tell her. She was racing out of her room and toward the main hold where Kaylee was already lowering the ramp. They could hear the sound of blaster fire echoing along with the sounds of yells. Mal and the rest were soon rushing into the hanger bay pushing the crate along into the ship. As soon as the last of them were inside, Kaylee hit the button to start lowering the ramp even as Bunjai and his men raced in to fire at the ship.

"Luke!" Leia cried out as she saw him clutching his shoulder. She took him by the arm with Han helping, Luke wincing as the pain of the wound began to sink in.

"Master Luke!" Threepio cried out from his place in the corner. "Great Maker, are you all right?"

"Doc's all set," Kaylee said as she headed to the gangplanks to race up the catwalk toward the engine room.

"Get him there," Mal said as he followed her toward the cockpit. "Jayne, bolt down the crate and get weapons in case we gotta fight!"

"We're still going to be talking later, Reynolds!" Han yelled over his shoulder as he and Leia took the wounded Luke down the hallways. Threepio and Artoo were quick to follow, the golden droid waving his hands toward Mal. "You, sir, should be reported to authorities."

"Join the line," Jayne snarled as he began locking the crate down to the floor with magnets.

Mal quickly headed toward the cockpit as Book stepped out of his quarters. "Captain," he said in a calm voice. "I see the normal state of affairs with your work prevails."

"Not now, preacher," Mal snapped as he brushed past and into the cockpit. Wash was already pulling back on the main controls to allow _Serenity _to rise up from the dock. The ship turned around and Wash fired up the engines to send it down the tunnels. He saw a flashing light on the screen to examine it. "They're trying to close the doors ahead, Captain!'

Mal moved to a communicator, hitting it. "Kaylee, gonna need all the juice you got!"

"_Juicing hard as I can, Captain!" _she yelled back.

"Force, I hope that's not as dirty as it sounds," Mal muttered as he turned the communicator off and turned back toward the main view screen. The rock of the tunnels whizzed by with uncomfortable closeness as _Serenity _whipped down the tunnels toward the metal doors which were starting to close. Mal moved to the communicator again to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Captain. I would recommend holding onto something nice and tight bout now least you suffer some untoward brain damage, thank you."

As the metal doors came toward them, Wash pulled the controls hard to the side and _Serenity_ turned just in time to squeeze through the doors. There was a shaking as the turbulence of Sullust's atmosphere struck it but Wash kept the ship on going high as he could until they reached the open skies of space.

Wash let out a sigh of relief. "Clear, Captain, setting hyper drive now."

"To Corellia, fast," Mal ordered. "Sooner we drop our passengers off, the better. We can figure out how to deal with the cargo later."

A low growl caught his attention and Mal turned to see Han standing behind him, arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. In the doorway was the hulking form of Chewbacca with matching pose and teeth bared.

"Reynolds," Han said with false friendliness in his voice. "Think it's time we had some words with you."

Wash swallowed as he looked to Mal. "I'll make sure Zoe keeps her new ship nice the way you'd want it, Mal."

"Your loyalty warms my heart, Wash," Mal said in a tired voice.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Apologies for the long delay, holidays have been a bit crazy, hopefully not as long before the next chapter. **


	4. Not So Scenic Stop

War and Serenity

By Michael Weyer

**Apologies for the overlong delay, tied up with real life and other fanfics but trying to get back on track with this. **

**Not So Scenic Stop**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Luke winced as Simon finished the bandage on his shoulder. "There we go," the doctor said, backing up. "Not as good as a bacta tank but it should hold you well."

"Thanks," Luke said, bending his arm about to test it. Leia was nearby, concern obvious on her face as Simon pout his instruments away. "It wasn't that bad a wound."

"That is true," Simon noted. "I've had to deal with quite a few injuries far worse with this crew."

Leia nodded as she stepped back. "Since Luke's okay, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to help Han eviscerate your captain."

"Have fun," Simon said in what actually seemed a bright tone. Leia nodded as she left and Luke began to sit up. "Here now, take it easy," Simon urged.

"Just making room for Reynolds," Luke said. "He's going to need it more than I will."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Leia entered the cockpit, ready to erupt at the bastard who was behind this crew but stopped at the scene before her. Han had Reynolds pressed against the side of the cockpit, his blaster held under the man's chin. He wasn't moving, however, as Zoe was holding her shotgun to the back of his head. She herself was being kept from pulling the trigger by Chewbacca aiming his crossbow at her own head. Wash simply sat in the pilot's chair with an expression wishing he were anywhere else right now but unable to avoid this unique tableau.

"We hired you just to give us a ride, Reynolds, that's all," Han was saying through gritted teeth. "Not get us involved in some crazy smuggling deal."

"You'll be wanting to let go of my shirt, Solo," Mal snapped.

"You should, it's his only good one," Wash piped in.

Han pushed Mal further on the wall. This made Zoe cock her blaster carefully which in turn made Chewbacca tighten his finger on the trigger of his bow caster. Leia realized that if someone had the bad timing to sneeze, it was liable to set off a very interesting chain reaction.

"If the kid was dead, we'd be having a very different conversation right now," Han snarled. "One that would actually not involve a lot of talking."

"I think right now it's best you remember this ain't your boat, Solo," Mal calmly said. "I don't suppose you're always playing by the rules with yours."

Leia had to concede the point but felt the need to defend her allies. "At least Han doesn't pull jobs without telling anyone."

"Forgive me for not being as cordial as he," Mal stated. The man appeared entirely non-plussed at the fact Han had a blaster ready to fire or the tense circumstances around him. Yet Leia was sure he was ready to fight if the moment presented itself. She reminded him quite a lot of Han…but even more reckless, if that was possible.

Zoe kept her blaster steady on Han's head even as Chewbacca pressed his bow caster against her. "Sir, I do believe this discussion isn't really going anywhere productive."

"Yeah, Mal, maybe we should all just calm down and put the guns away," Wash said.

"Not your affair, Wash," Mal said.

"Yeah but if you all shoot each other, that'll leave Jayne in charge of the ship and I don't think you want that."

Mal glanced at him. "Zoe, I know I don't say this a lot but your husband's logic is correct."

"He has his moments, sir."

Mal looked at Han. "How about we make the pilot's mental health a bit easier, Solo and lower the weapons for now?"

Han narrowed his eyes. "You're not talking your way out of this, Reynolds."

"You're the one with the eight foot tall mammoth, Solo. I think that gives you a slight edge in the non-guns category."

Han glanced over his shoulder, past Zoe's gun and at Chewbacca. The Wookie cocked his head and gave a small grumble of agreement. Slowly, Han stepped back, lowering his blaster. Zoe waited until it was in his holster before letting her shotgun drop. Chewbacca also backed up, lowering his own bow caster as Leia let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, now that's settled…" Mal began just before Leia's hand slapped across his face. He stumbled back and found himself glared at by a pair of steely eyes. "If you even think of pulling something like this again while we're on this ship," Leia hissed. "I'm going to make you wish Han had pulled that trigger."

Mal appeared rather non-plussed at her anger, actually smirking. "Looks like you got a real firecracker, Solo."

"We're not together!" the two said in unison.

Mal smirked. "Right. Anyhow, we've got a clear line to Corellia, should be there in a couple of hours so we can get you all off…"

"Um…Captain?" Kaylee stuck her head into the cockpit, not seeming to notice the tension.

"Not the best time, Kaylee," Mal said.

"Ah, kinda thought it'd be important to know that the hyper drive is leaking."

Mal closed his eyes as if pained. "Right…how long till…"

There was a loud rumble as the entire ship shook. Wash whirled around in his chair as he looked out the window and saw the streaks of hyperspace fading and replaced by the normal field of stars.

"Um, about now, Captain?" Kaylee nervously chirped.

Mal rubbed his head in a fashion Zoe was long used to seeing. "All right then…Wash, find us the nearest port to settle down so we can make repairs. Zoe, tell Jayne to get that crate ready, we're gonna need to offload it fast for payment."

Wash quickly keyed up the nav-computer. "Hmmm…not too much out there right now, Captain. Except…" He frowned. "Hmmm…Bespin."

"Bespin?" Han frowned as he leaned in over Wash's shoulder, hitting some keys. "I'll be damned….Lando."

"Lando?" Mal asked with disbelief.

"Lando?" Zoe asked with a flicker of recognition.

"Lando?" Leia frowned. "I don't know that system."

"Not a system, a man," Han said. "Lando Calrissian. Old buddy of mine, we go way back."

"Really?" Mal said with obvious doubt. "Last I heard, he wanted to kill you."

"Sounds pretty common for Han's friends," Leia muttered.

Wash was checking the computer. "Seems like he's Baron Administrator of some place called Cloud City."

Zoe's eyebrows went up at that. "Don't tell me he actually got himself a decent line of work."

"Nah, he conned it out of someone," Han informed her. "He can give us some shelter."

"Can we trust him?" Leia asked.

"About as much as us," Mal said.

"Not a sterling recommendation," Leia noted.

Mal sighed. "I don't like it either but we don't have many options. Wash, plot a course and get us there fast as you can. We can make some repairs there."

"You can let us out too," Leia declared.

That got her some surprised looks, including from Han. "We'll take our chances getting another flight. The last thing I want is to take another trip on this crazy ship."

Han nodded. "Maybe we can get a message out, have Rogue Squadron arrange a pickup."

"What about our money?" Mal instantly snapped, his face hard. "I don't like being welshed on a deal, Solo! You promised us a full pay!"

Leia stared at him in disbelief. "You dragged us on a smuggling mission and got Luke shot!"

"All right, I'll take half then," Mal shrugged. He raised an eyebrow. "Unless you want us to start talking about how your buddy back there carries a light saber around."

In a flash, Han had his blaster once more aimed right at Mal's face.

"On the other hand, we can settle on twenty-five percent and call it even," Mal added, his voice not changing its tenor a bit.

"Your negotiation tactics never cease to astound, sir," Zoe noted.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I'm just saying," Jayne was beginning as he pushed the crate toward the center of the hold. "If I had a couple of grenades…"

"Violence isn't the solution to everything, Jayne," Sheppard said as he watched.

"It does good until a better option comes along," the mercenary shrugged.

Threepio gave a shake of his torso. "I abhor all this violence. I simply cannot wait to be free of it all."

"Than you've got a long wait, droid," Jayne sniffed. "Ain't no escaping violence wherever you may be. Hell, why would you want to? Makes life damn dull."

"It also makes it longer," Book noted. "I would think you would appreciate that, Jayne. Why waste all the booze and women you could still enjoy over the years?"

Jayne smiled. "Preacher…every now and then, you actually make sense."

Book seemed to roll his eyes before seeing Luke coming down the stairway, rubbing his shoulder. "Are you all right, young man?"

"Getting there," Luke said. "I hear we need to make a stop for repairs?"

"And getting you off this ship," Jayne said.

"Oh, thank the Maker!" Threepio declared. "Finally some safety and refugee."

"I'm sure it won't be that hard finding a new charter," Luke said. "For the record, I don't blame you totally for what happened."

"Very forward thinking of you," Book noted. He was about to say more when the ship shook. Everyone looked about in confusion before the loudspeaker boomed. "_Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. We are experiencing some, ah, turbulence coming to Cloud City. Please be advised to hang tight as I hope from the bottom of my still-beating heart to have us landed safely soon."_

Luke frowned as he signed off. "Is there much turbulence on Bespin?"

The ship shook again with a sound Luke recognized as he realized exactly what "turbulence" this was.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Mal grit his teeth as a series of blaster bolts flew past Serenity. "I am charging you if they mess my ship up, Solo," he snapped.

Han was ignoring him, leaning over Wash's shoulder to speak into the communicator. "Listen, tell Lando that Han Solo is here to see him!"

"I thought you said you knew this man," Leia complained.

Chewbacca let out a series of grunts and Han blanched. "Come on, that was years ago, I'm sure he's forgotten all about it by now."

"Forgotten about what?" Leia demanded, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you getting us into now, Han?"

Mal chuckled. "Guess Lando's still mad about that deal, huh?"

Zoe coughed. "Ah, sir, are you forgetting that Naboo run?" Mal's face instantly fell, causing Han to smile a bit.

Wash saw a flashing on the control panel. "Looks like they're letting us land, boss."

"Set her down easy," Mal nodded as he turned to Zoe. "Let Jayne know to keep Vera on board and try to have Kaylee slightly presentable."

"What about Inara?" Zoe asked. "She could help the deal work better."

Mal nodded. "Yeah, Lando always was a sucker for charm and she has that and if any of you tell her I complimented her, you're cleaning the latrines out."

"We kinda need to do that anyhow, Mal," Wash said.

"Shut up, Wash."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Cloud City was an amazing sight. Hanging in the clouds above Bespin, it was a huge saucer with the buildings atop it, a long central stalk hanging from the bottom and ending in a small pod. The buildings were as brilliant as any inner core world, gleaming in the afternoon light as _Serenity_ flew about toward an empty landing pad. It settled in, the ramp slowly lowering to disgorge the crew and passengers.

"Just keep it nice and friendly," Mal said as he took the lead, Han following him. "No need to be upsetting folks here."

"Sure Calrissian knows that, sir?" Zoe asked.

They saw a small group waiting by the doorway at the opposite end of the landing bay's bridge. Several were in the blue uniforms of Cloud City officers. One was a bald man in tan clothing with a metal attachment around his skull. The final one was a handsome black man in a stylish pair of pants, shirt and cape, who was glaring at the men at the head of the group.

"Well, well," he snapped as he strode forward. "You two have got a hell of a lot of nerve showing up here after what you both pulled!"

"What, us?" Han said with a show of innocence.

Lando seemed ready to pull his arm back for a punch. Mal's hand was going for his sidearm when Lando suddenly grinned and embraced a startled Han. "You old pirate, good to see you again!" He backed up and nodded to Mal. "Not bad seeing you either, Reynolds. What brings you two here?"

"Need some repair work," Mal nodded to the ship.

Lando looked at it and his brows rose. "Might be easier just to buy a new boat." He frowned at Han. "Why aren't you in the _Falcon_? Don't tell me you two wrecked my ship."

"We needed another ride fast," Han answered. "And what do you mean _your_ ship? You lost her to me, fair and square!"

Lando brushed it off as he looked at the others. "Good to see you, Chewbacca. Still hanging with this loser?" As Chewbacca grunted in reply, Lando smiled at Zoe. "Zoe…it's been far too long."

Mal actually seemed amused at the sight of his cool and confident second in command's cheeks flushing as she looked down. Wash looked at his wife with a frown before stepping forward with a hand outstretched. "Hi there, Wash, I'm Zoe's husband," he emphasized the last word.

Lando seemed taken aback at that but forgot it as soon as he laid eyes on Leia. "Well, hello there," he smiled as he reached to take her hand and kiss it. "Lando Calrissian, Baron Administrator of Cloud City."

"Leia," she said, charmed despite herself. "Oh and this is Luke." She nodded to the man next to her.

Lando nodded to them and then winced at the next man in line. "Jayne. Why the hell aren't you dead yet?"

As usual, Jayne failed to see the insult being thrown at him. "Ain't for lack of trying."

Lando nodded as he shook hands with Book, then Kaylee, who had changed into a lighter dress. "So nice to meet you!" she brightly said. "We need a few new spanners and some hydropanes and we could really use an overhaul to…"

Lando held up a hand. "Hold on, hold on! I have a lot of other clients who need repairs too, I just can't order my crews to drop everything and…"

"Oh, Lando," Inara cooed as she stepped forward. She was wearing her best dress, a dark outfit enhanced to show off her curves and cleavage. "Not even for me?"

Lando's eyes went wide before he smiled brightly. "Inara." He kissed her hand deeply. "My dear, had I known you were on board this crate, I would have had the red carpet rolled out."

"Yeah, fill her head, it needs that," Mal muttered.

Lando ignored him. "Well, I'm sure I can make some arrangements if it helps you on your way." He backed up, waving for them to follow. "Come on, I'll have some quarters set up for you."

"Looks like you're doing pretty well," Mal observed as he looked around the city.

Lando sighed. "Not as well as I'd like. We're a small facility and I have a lot of issues on my plate. I've got labor problems, union difficulties, hiring practices, getting clients…"

Han laughed. "Listen to you! You actually sound like a responsible leader."

Lando chuckled. "Yeah, I'm legitimate now. And guess what? You two were right all along, it's vastly overrated." The three laughed as the group moved on.

Simon was at the rear, looking to River. The young woman seemed cowered at the sight of the huge buildings, shuffling uneasily in her dress. "I know it's bigger than what we're used to…" Simon began.

"Our house was a mansion," River said, her eyes glancing about. "A castle for the pawns. Now we are in the bigger board and the pieces move in on us."

Simon frowned, sensing the warning in her words. "What do you mean? Someone's coming for us?"

River nodded slowly. "The shadow king will be here soon. The angels of light will face him. The hidden angel will spread his wings as well." She looked up to Simon, her eyes wide. "The light of your heart, Simon…You'll need to help her before the darkness closes."

Simon swallowed as he took in her words and could not blame the high winds of the planet for the chill that went through his body.


	5. Pressing Exit

War and Serenity

By Michael Weyer

**Pressing Exit**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Gotta give it up to Lando," Mal said as he chewed on his breakfast. "The man always had a knack for landing on his feet."

"I gotta say, I wasn't taken by him at first," Wash admitted. "But finally having a real bed to sleep in is winning me over well."

The majority of the crew were seated around a large table in the expansive apartment Lando had arranged for them. It was a nice place with a wonderful view of the city and various rooms for each. Even Mal had to admit it was nice to finally be able to unwind somewhere nice for a chance and with some decent food as well. The only person not present was Kaylee, who insisted on helping the mechanics fix _Serenity's _hyper drive.

"I am curious as to your past with Lando, Inara," Mal talked to the Companion."

"A lady is inclined to some personal things, Captain," she smoothly answered.

Mal smirked. "Would those 'personal things' be related to how he rolled out the carpet for us so well?"

Inara simply narrowed her eyes in annoyance and Mal realized the conversation was finished for her part. "I don't think we should be getting too comfortable," he said. "Soon as the boat's ready, we're taking off."

"What about the cargo?" Zoe asked.

"Already managed to get a buyer lined up," Mal answered. "The money should be enough to keep us going for a while. Important bit is hauling metal as fast as we can."

"What's the rush, Mal?" Jayne asked as he chewed on a piece of meat with his bare hands. "Seems a good place to lie low for a while."

"Too good," Mal informed him. "When I was out searching for buyers, I happened to look around a lot. And what I saw were a lot of familiar faces. Remember Callis?"

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Been a few years. Heard he'd dropped out of the rackets."

"Whether he has or not, he's around here," Mal said. "And he's not the only one I've seen either."

"So a lot of guys are laying low here?" Jayne remarked. "Huh, maybe something to consider."

"Another time," Mal said. "Seeing as how Solo and his friends are going their own way, I don't see any reason to delay our exit from here."

"I agree with the captain," Simon intoned as he entered the room.

"Now, there's a string of words I don't hear from your mouth often enough, Doc," Mal noted. "River sleep okay?"

Simon's face was grave as he shook his head. "No. She didn't. She was having nightmares."

Wash swallowed his food. "Ah, Mal, when the seer gal starts fretting in her dreams, I think it's time to start sweating a bit."

"All the more reason to make tracks, then," Mal nodded. "As soon as we get the okay from Kaylee, we're setting off."

"Any line of new jobs?" Zoe asked. "Hopefully the kind that don't involve escapades?"

"Why break with what we're good at?" Jayne asked dryly.

Mal rolled his eyes. "Some days I wonder why I got into this line of work."

"You'd prefer an honest living, sir?"

"Let's not get crazy here, Zoe."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Lando hadn't been lying when he said he hated the business side of running Cloud City. The never-ending stream of troubles piled on his desk faster then he could handle them and even his amazing skills at conning people were hard pressed to find common ground for everyone. He wished yet again he'd never thought up taking control of this place but he was stuck with it for now.

When the door opened, he sighed, sure it was yet another task to put on his plate. He looked up to see Lobot enter, his aide's face as expressionless as always. "What now?" Lando asked in a tired voice.

Lobot seemed to pause before speaking. "We…have a communication coming in for you, sir."

Lando frowned. "From who?"

"It's…difficult to express, sir.'

Lando frowned deeper. In all the time he'd known Lobot, the man had never expressed anything close to worry or nervousness. But there actually seemed to be concern in his eyes and that was enough to tell Lando the situation was serious. He reached to activate the view screen on his desk…and instantly felt his blood go cold at the image presented.

"_I assume I am speaking to Administrator Calrissian?" _Darth Vader's breathing echoed over the channel. He appeared to be standing at the bridge of a craft and Lando felt more than a bit nervous to see a familiar set of stars on the large window behind him.

"Um, yes," Lando said, doing his best to smile. "How can I help you, Lord Vader?"

"_I have reason to believe a group of wanted Rebels are hiding in your city,"_ Vader intoned. _"We shall be in the vicinity of Bespin within the hour. You will ground all ships for our arrival and inspection."_

Lando swallowed. "Lord Vader…with all respect, Cloud City is not part of the Empire. I assure you I have no knowledge of any Rebels in my city and my own security forces can be enough to handle any trouble."

Vader stared at him and Lando hoped the sweat wasn't too visible over the connection. _"This is not a request, Calrissian," _he intoned, his voice cold as ice. _"I would urge you to do your best to comply with my directives. Otherwise, I would need to be…strict in my rebuke of you and your people." _With that, the screen winked off, leaving Lando staring at it, worried he may have finally been dealt too difficult a hand.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Luke was finishing his breakfast as Leia entered the room. He stopped and stared at the lovely red dress she was wearing, her hair in a nice bun. "Wow, nice."

"Thank you," Leia smiled. "Whatever else about Lando, he apparently has good taste with some outfits. It certainly looks better than what I had on before."

"He does seem friendly," Threepio chirped up from his place in the corner.

"Maybe too friendly," Leia said. "I think the faster we leave, the better."

Luke nodded. "I agree on that. I've been getting an odd feeling the last few hours. I can't place it but it feels…wrong."

Leia's face drew with concern. She'd known Luke long enough to know his feelings were usually correct. Before she could speak, Han entered from a side room, Chewbacca behind him. ""Damn, been too long since I could have a decent shower. Now we just need to…" He stopped and took in Leia. "Wow…Princess, you clean up nice."

Leia wasn't sure whether he was serious or not, simply nodding in reply. "I got a message through to Rogue Squadron. They should be sending a shuttle to meet us under a false name. It'll be here by afternoon."

"Enough time to get a good meal in," Han said. "Lando's sure to have something set up."

"I don't know if I trust him," Leia said.

"Hey, I don't trust him," Han retorted. "But he is my friend. And he's giving us some sanctuary, which is more than we'd get elsewhere."

There was a chiming as the door slid open and Lando entered at a fast pace, his face drawn and cape billowing behind him. "You all need to go," he said without preamble. "Now."

"What's wrong?" Luke demanded as he got to his feet.

Lando shook his head at Han. "You really outdid yourself here, Han. I always knew you had a talent for pissing people off but _Vader?_"

"Vader?!" Leia's eyes went wide. "What are you talking about?"

"He just contacted me," Lando said. "He's heading here now and he's looking for some Rebels. I keep my ear to the ground, Han, I know you've been working with them."

"Dammit," Han muttered. "We have to get out of here."

"I've already got a ship ready to go," Lando told them. "I've fixed the logs so it'll look like it took off before Vader contacted me. I can bluff my way and let him think you got away under my nose."

"That's too dangerous for you," Leia declared.

Lando gave her a sly smile. "I've talked my way out of worst spots, believe me. What matters is getting you all out of here."

"Wait, what about Reynolds and his crew?" Luke asked.

"They'll have to take their chances," Han said as he grabbed his blaster belt and buckled it on.

"We can't just leave them!" Luke protested.

"It's us Vader's after, not them!" Han pointed out. "They'll be better off here, the Empire will pass them over and they'll be gone. Reynolds was always good at keeping himself safe, he'll manage."

"I'll keep an eye out for them," Lando said. "But come on, the ship can't wait long and Vader will be here soon, you've got to get moving!"

Leia sighed as they started to move. "I may not like Reynolds but I'm not comfortable leaving him alone."

"If I know Reynolds, he'll be fine," Han said as they left. "Well, relatively speaking."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As terrifying as Darth Vader's visage was on a screen, the actual man was enough to make even Lando break into a cold sweat. He strode out of his shuttle with his cape billowing behind him, accompanied by a platoon of storm troopers and a few officers. Lando's personal guards tensed but were smart enough to know they were outmatched by the opposing force. Lando himself tried to keep calm as he bowed his head. "Lord Vader. Welcome to Cloud City."

"We will dispense with the pleasantries, Calrissian," Vader said as he marched past Lando. "I assume the lockdown has been in place?"

"I ordered it as soon as you contacted me," Lando said, making himself sound groused, which wasn't difficult. "A lot of captains raised hell about it, a lot of shipping being delayed."

"That is not my concern," Vader said. "We have records of the people we are searching for. You will give them to your security force to begin a search." An officer handed a data pad to Lando. He keyed it up to show images of Han, Chewbacca, Luke and Leia. With the gift of hundreds of card games, Lando managed to keep his face innocent as he looked them over.

"Also," Vader stated. "You will tell me the location of a ship called _Serenity."_

It took all Lando had not to stumble in place or show his shock. Han and his friends had gotten off in the shuttle before Vader's ship got into range and would be safely gone. But that Vader would be interested in Reynolds hadn't occurred to Lando at all. "I'd have to check our records, we get a lot of traffic here." He was thinking furiously on how to get word to Reynolds before Vader found him.

"Lando?" The procession in the hallways paused as Kaylee raced up toward them. The young woman had a bright smile on her face despite it being streaked with dirt and sweat. She was glad in her usual coveralls, opened a bit to show her dark shirt and pants. "Listen, I had to thank you nicely for your help and all, the ship is purring like new! Mal and the rest are there now, we're about to go and…"

"Um, Kaylee," Lando said, glancing at Vader beside him. "Not the best time."

Kaylee seemed to catch sight of Vader at last and her smile faded. "Um…oh….ah….I see you're…busy." She swallowed and started to back away. "I guess I should be wandering off then. Thanks again, though, appreciation is high…"

"Wait," Vader said. "What ship do you work for?"

"Me? Ship?" Kaylee let out a giggle. "Oh, no, no ship for me, just your resident Cloud City mechanic, that's me and all!" She started to back up slowly, licking her suddenly dry lips. "I guess, I'd best be getting back to work, it was interesting to meet you and…"

"Stop." Vader waved a hand and Kaylee froze in place, her eyes going wide as she felt her muscles lock up. Lando stiffened watching but a glance at the troops around him made him forget interfering. Vader himself stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the young woman. He glanced her over as if searching for something and nodded. "You work for _Serenity."_

Kaylee tried to protest but her mouth wouldn't move. Vader stepped forward and waved a hand at her. "You know that ship."

"I…know that ship," Kaylee found herself answering in a flat tone.

"You will take me there now."

"I'll take you there now."

"Lord Vader," Lando began.

"This is business of the Empire, Calrissian," Vader cut him off. "You can give my aides access to your system and then stay out of my way. And you'd best hope we do not find evidence you knew of these people or the measures I take shall be…strict."

With a wave of his hand, Vader made Kaylee turn and begin to lead the way down the hallways, the storm troopers falling in behind him. Lando watched them go and let out a sad sigh. _Sorry, Mal, I've done what I can. Afraid you're on your own from here on in._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Golrdanit, where is that woman?" Mal demanded as he paced the hold of the ship. "One time she's needed and she decides to go wandering."

Zoe was coming towards him from the gangplank. "Wash says the engines check out but we're under some lockdown by Cloud City control."

"Sure we can overlook that little detail," Mal said. "Sadly, not much sense in going if we don't have the only one capable of keeping this ship running with us."

"She's coming." Mal and Zoe turned to see River sitting on a crate. For the umpteenth time, Mal wondered just how the girl was able to come and go like that without being spotted. That question was brushed aside by the haunted look on her face. "She's coming with the shadow man. He's coming and the hidden knight will have to shed his hide to face him."

"Maybe we oughta have kept that droid, Mal," Jayne piped up from the weapons rack at the side of the bay. "Six billion languages, one of 'em's gotta be able to tell what this gal's saying."

Mal looked at River and then to Zoe. "Tell Wash to get the engines warmed up. We may be needing a fast take off."

A rumble went out from nearby that Mal recognized as the opening of the doors to the repair bay _Serenity_ was placed in. "Why oh why am I getting a very dropping feeling in my stomach at that sound?" he asked no one in particular.

Jayne and Zoe had known Mal long enough to recognize the look on his face and both were alert as they joined him in facing the open bay doors. They heard the sound of heavy footsteps as Kaylee came into view, her face blank. The three professional soldiers all felt a chill at the sight of the black-garbed man leading a pack of troopers into the ship.

"You'll be letting the gal go right about now," Mal said in a voice calmer than he felt.

"I do not believe you are in a position to make demands, Captain Reynolds," Vader intoned.

Mal drew his blaster carefully, the storm troopers lifting their rifles in response. Vader stared at Mal for a moment before waving his hand. Kaylee blinked, shaking her head as she looked around. "Cap'n? How did…"

"Get over here, Kaylee," Mal instructed and the woman quickly complied. Mal kept himself steady as Vader stepped forward, his breathing echoing through the bay. "Captain Reynolds, you are to be held in questioning regarding your involvement with the Rebellion."

"I don't take sides," Mal retorted. "I fly for hire, whoever wants me to do a job, I'll do it, provided the pay is good." He glanced behind him to see that River had vanished from her spot on the crate. For once, he was happy to see her disappearing act, she needed to stay out of sight for this.

"You were seen taking them from Sullust," Vader stated. "We have reports of your altercation there."

"Just a mild disagreement," Mal brushed off. "Comes with the territory."

Vader glared at him through the mask. "You gave shelter and transport to wanted Rebels, Reynolds. You will be detained, all of you for questioning."

Jayne had Vera raised and aimed at Vader. "And you'll be getting that suit of yours scraped off the walls if you come closer."

Vader didn't glance at him but raised a hand and Jayne began choking, grabbing at his throat as he gasped for breath. In a flash, Mal was aiming his blaster at Vader's helmet. "Only one who chokes Jayne is me," he growled. "Let him go now."

Vader simply clenched his fist and Jayne's gasping grew louder as he fell to his knees. Zoe was at his side but unable to help as the man's breath was cut off. "Leave him alone!" Kaylee cried out but a wave of Vader's other hand sent her sailing back against a crate, slumping to the deck.

"Let him go." The strong voice carried through the bay, causing everyone but Jayne to turn around. Shepherd Book was standing at the catwalk overlooking the bay. The man's face was determined and strong as he held some sort of object in his right hand.

Vader straightened up and Jayne let out a gasp as the vise on his throat vanished. "Master Bookau," the Sith Lord muttered. "You survived."

"Get out of here now, Vader," Book said and Mal was struck by the menace in the usually kind tones of the elder man. "These people haven't done anything to you."

"They give shelter to enemies of the Empire," Vader said. "They will pay the price. As will you."

Book simply stared before shaking his head. "I had hoped to resolve this in a peaceful matter. Old habits and all. But…"

His thumb pressed on a button and the metallic cylinder in his hand emitted a solid blue blade of energy. In one smooth motion, Book leapt off the catwalk, somersaulting in the air and landing on his feet, launching himself forward at Vader. The black armored figure had his own red light saber out and blocking the attack as the two began dueling, Book moving like a man twenty years younger as he ducked and struck.

"These ain't my eyeballs," was all Mal could say as he took in the display. Zoe was able to shake off her own shock enough to raise her rifle and shoot down a pair of storm troopers. The others raised their rifles but the blast of a cannon ripped through the air. From his place on the floor, Jayne was firing off Vera, the blaster bolts cutting down a trio of troopers. Mal was backing toward the shelter of crates as he fired his own blaster, the remaining troops taking cover as best they could.

Book and Vader were continuing their battle, their light sabers clashing with sparks as they dueled about. Vader lunged, his saber striking against Book's, pressing the elder man back. Book grit his teeth as he pressed back but Vader's strength was too much. "You should have just stayed hidden, old man," Vader hissed.

A blaster bolt struck him across the shoulder and Vader let out an involuntary yell of pain. He twisted his head to see Mal aiming his pistol at him, a smug smirk on the smuggler's face. Anger filled Vader and the distraction was enough for Book to throw out a hand. A wave of energy struck Vader back, sending him rolling across the deck floor.

Mal raced to the nearest communicator and hit it. "Wash, get the engines fired up!"

"_They already are!" _Wash's voice yelled and Mal noticed the rumble in the ship for the first time. No doubt, Wash had heard the conflict below and knew a quick exit was needed. Mal nodded as he fired at a storm trooper near the ramp way. The man yelled as he went down, rolling down the ramp as the ship slowly began to lift off.

Vader was back on his feet, realizing his troopers had been cut down by the trio of smugglers. Jayne was firing a blast at him with Vera but a twirl of the red light saber deflected the blaster bolts away. Zoe fired a blast from her own rifle which Vader managed to dodge. All this was enough to give Book the time to reach a hand toward a crate nearby. The lined face tensed as he reached out and the crate slowly levitated off the floor. "Mal, cover!" he called out.

Mal leaned up from his hiding spot to fire a blast at Vader as Zoe unloaded another round. The Dark Lord stepped back as he deflected the two bolts at the same time Book sent the crate flying forward. Unable to dodge in time, Vader took the blow across his upper chest. The impact sent him falling back onto the ramp way just as _Serenity_ lifted itself upward. With a yell of rage, Vader tumbled down the ramp way and fell ten feet to the docking bay below.

Mal raced to hit the button to raise the ramp way up and leaned on the doorway, taking several breaths. "Zoe," he gasped. "Get up top and tell Wash to get us into hyperspace as soon as we're clear. Doesn't matter where we go, just get us gone!"

"Aye, sir!" she said as she raced off.

Mal rubbed his head. "Jayne, get Kaylee to the doc, then come back down and start cleaning up this mess," he nodded at the dead troopers nearby. "And you…" He pointed at Book, who had turned his light saber off. "You and me, preacher, are gonna have many, many words at a rather loud volume from my part."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Sure most saw it coming but wanted to get Book's secret out of the way. Next chapter will shine light on that as well as future plans for the crew.**


	6. Going to Ground

**War and Serenity**

**By Michael Weyer**

**Going to Ground**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Let me see if I have this straight," Simon said with an actual expression of bewilderment on his face. "Book is a Jedi?"

"Yep," Jayne said, wincing a bit as the doctor adjusted the bandage around his arm where he'd dislocated it after being slammed aside. "Old guy was putting up a damn good fight too."

Simon shook his head. "Incredible. I never suspected…"

"Guess that was the point," Kaylee said from her spot nearby as she laced up her boots. She had already been examined by Simon who found no injuries to her but still seemed tense. "Sure the Captain is getting answers out of him now."

"If I know Mal, he's beating the answers out of him," Jayne remarked.

"I suspect even Reynolds doesn't have that loss of self-preservation to attack a JedI," Simon remarked. He looked over at Kaylee. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, Simon," Kaylee said as she stood up. "I gotta check on the engines, make sure the repair job on them worked ok."

"I'd prefer to…."

"I said, I'm fine!" Simon and Jayne were both taken aback to hear Kaylee snap at them. She took a breath before moving away. "Sorry, I gotta go." She exited as the two men exchanged baffled looks.

"When Kaylee's the one getting antsy," Jayne remarked. "I think it's time to start sweating."

"For once, you actually raise a good point," Simon noted as he gazed at the door.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Book sat at a table watching as Mal paced back and forth in the dining cabin of the ship. The captain's face was tight with anger as he shot glares at Book. He opened his mouth, then shut it as he paced a few steps. He stopped, turned to Book with his mouth open then shut it. He opened again but then proceeded to pace more.

"Are you going to speak or are you just enjoying the exercise?" Inara asked from her place in the corner of the room. Book appeared as calm and collected as ever sitting at the table, his light saber placed before him. Mal threw the Companion a look before staring back at Book, mouth opening and then closing once more.

"I know this is unsettling, Captain," Book began. "I don't expect you to understand my reasons…"

"Oh, I understand," Mal finally spoke up. "You don't wanna go broadcasting being a JedI, especially round a bunch like us. I get that, Preacher, I do." His eyes narrowed. "What I don't appreciate is putting me and mine in harm's way."

Book sighed. "I am sorry for that, Captain. I had no intention of putting anyone in danger. It's been a long time since I even used my abilities this way."

"What happened?" Inara asked without venom. "To you, I mean. Is Book even your real name?"

The man made a soft smile at her. "It's actually Derrial Bookua. I shortened and changed it a bit when I went into hiding." He crossed his legs. "I was stationed at a small planet at the Outer Rim when the attacks on the JedI happened. I managed to escape my clone troopers and make my way to a nearby system where I heard of the new order being imposed. Naturally, hiding who I was made a lot of sense."

"Naturally," Mal drawled. "And the holy man thing just draws attention away from all that."

A small smile came to Book's face. "Actually, being connected to the Force does allow me to feel a bit spiritual. And from what I can tell, the people on this ship can use whatever guidance I can give them."

"Putting aside your analysis of our mental health," Mal said, crossing his arms. "Leaves the question of what we do now. I don't mind you too much, preacher. In fact, I kinda like you which isn't an easy thing for me to do." His eyes narrowed. "But we've got enough heat on us as is. The last thing we want is to be having a human-sized target side on our boat everywhere we go."

"Wait a minute, Mal," Inara spoke up. "We can't just dump him on some planet and take off on our merry way!"

"I'm game for the challenge," Mal threw at her. "Or would you like to imagine how your business is gonna suffer with Imperials on our necks and interrupting your fine private times?"

As Inara flushed, Book coughed. "Captain…I'd prefer to stay but if the crew does decide I should go…"

"It's decided."

Book raised an eyebrow. "You haven't even talked to them yet."

"I am exercising my all-too-rarely used command authority as Captain," Mal responded. "No offense to you, Preacher but you survived on your own for years, sure you can get by once again. We're coming up at Parsey's Place in a bit, we can lay low for a time and you can go your way, we go ours and hopefully trouble is avoided."

"Captain?" Zoe stuck her head into the room.

Mal sighed. "There goes that alarm in my head again," he muttered. He turned to see his first officer's face drawn. "What is it?"

Zoe swallowed. "Better come up and see, sir."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Parsey's Place was a small space platform orbiting an equally small moon. It wasn't lavish by any means but had a few shops, a diner/casino and several docks, making it a perfect stop for smugglers and even honest space shippers as well.

At the moment, however, it resembled little more than a burned-out husk of what had once been a station. The main body, once resembling a sphere with a protruding arm, was shattered, debris scattered about. Fires still roared in a few places where there had once been shops and the wreckage of ships floated around, along with the bodies of those who had been unfortunate enough to be around when the attack happened.

Mal had seen death and destruction more times than a sane man deserved to but he still shivered inwardly at the view before him. He looked to Wash, happy the man was keeping calm at all this as he kept _Serenity_ floating just before the destruction. "How long?"

Wash shrugged. "Stuff still burning so it must not have been that long ago. I'd say there were about five ships in dock when it all went down, can't quite figure sizes or number of people."

"This ain't right, Mal," Jayne muttered. He was standing behind them looking out the view screen with Inara and Book next to him, the Companion looking stricken.

"Ain't no arguing that point, Jayne," Mal replied. "Parsey was a good sort, didn't stick his neck out and handled honest business too. Man didn't deserve this."

Jayne shook his head. "Ain't what I meant." Everyone looked at him in confusion as Jayne waved a hand at the outside. "If this was the Imps, why hit so hard first? Why didn't they wait for us if they knew we were coming here?"

For once, the crew found themselves actually weighing a question Jayne brought up. Zoe's eyes widened as her mind clicked on the answer. "They didn't attack this place because they thought we _would _come here…They hit it because they thought we _might._"

Her words echoed and it took a few moments for everyone to grasp the horror of what she was saying. Mal whirled on Wash, his face tight. "Get on the horn to the Sanchez brothers, Li Shen, anyone and everyone who ever gave us a place to hide out, who got us work, who fixed us up, hell, who gave us a meal. Tell them to get the hell out now!"

Wash was quick on the communicator as Mal turned to Book. The elder man's face was filled with regret and guilt, a look Mal knew all too well. The look of a man who felt the deaths of others and wished it wasn't his fault. His anger toward the JedI dissipated as Mal reflected on how much they had in common.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

On the bridge of the Star Destroyer _Executor_, Darth Vader stared out the window at the stars before him, watching the occasional TIE fighter fly by. He was aware of the figure standing behind him, waiting patiently at attention until Vader spoke, knowing interrupting the Dark Lord when he was in contemplation was an often fatal move.

"What is it, Captain?" Vader finally spoke up.

Captain Firmus Piett cleared his throat. "We have reports of the first attacks on the locations you provided, Lord Vader. There is no sign of Reynolds or any of his crew at any of them and what prisoners have been taken are not being forthcoming."

"Continue to send the coordinates to ships, Captain," Vader ordered. "This is not about collecting prisoners but to destroy any haven they find."

"Yes, my Lord," Piett said. "Also, sir, the…person you wanted has arrived. He is awaiting you."

Vader turned and stalked past Piett, the man letting out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding in. The armored man walked over to a conference room at the side of the bridge. It was empty except for a lone figure who stood at the end of the table, his armored helmet placed before him and his expression calm as he gazed at Vader.

Vader stopped at the other end of the table as the doors slid shut behind him. He studied the other man for a few moments before speaking. "Your reputation as a tracker and bounty hunter is excellent," he intoned.

"I do what I can," the bounty hunter replied. "I believe my task is a higher calling, not just the material gains."

"Your reasons matter not to me," Vader stated. "What matters is that you find the ship I want. You may do what you wish what the crew. But the girl known as River Tam and Master Bookau are to be brought to me alive." He leaned forward. "Can you do this?"

A smile came to the black-skinned face of the hunter. "I can find anyone I want to and bring them back in whatever shape I want. If you want them brought to you, I can do it without much fuss."

Vader's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Do not fail me, Jubal Early."

Early smiled wider. "Failure is not an option I endorse. Therefore, for me, it does not exist."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Simon couldn't help but steel himself as he stepped into the engine room of the ship. He'd always been mocked as a child for his rather fastidious ways. It wasn't that he hated being unclean, as a doctor, he'd grown used to getting messy if he had to. He just preferred not having to if he could possibly avoid it. Thus, coming into the room filled with oils and fluids and whose humidity made him sweat through his fine shirt was uncomfortable to say the least.

As expected, Kaylee was working at the engines, oil and sweat marring her pretty features which for once didn't carry a smile. Her coveralls were dirty yet still fit well on her frame and Simon felt oddly intrigued by the picture she gave off. He settled himself as he spoke up. "Kaylee?"

"Little busy, Doc," she said as she adjusted a piece on the hyper drive. "Those Cloud City guys did their best but still got a few kinks in."

"I'm seeing how you're feeling," Simon said, ducking his head under a large pipe.

"Thought you gave me a clean bill," she replied, not looking at him.

"I just needed to itemize it."

"Don't be cute, Simon."

"I can try, but it's not always up to me."

Kaylee had to look back at the rare show of humor. Simon's lips were turned upward as he continued. "Physically, you're fine. But I do worry about how you might feel…otherwise."

Kaylee turned back to the engine. "Nothing to talk about."

Simon bit his lip as he stepped forward. "Kaylee…"

"I'm fine, all right!" she snapped, glaring at him. "It happened, just…Let it go, all right?" She shook her head. "Not like you ever been interested in how my feelings lie."

"My job is to care for every member of this ship."

Kaylee snorted. "Figures." She tightened the wrench on a socket. "All we are is bodies for you to fix up or carve up."

Simon frowned. "That's a rather harsh assessment. Kaylee, I know what you went through…"

"Nope, you don't," Kaylee responded. "You can't and tryin' to pretend you do is truly insulting, Simon. So how's about you butting out right now?"

Simon was about to speak when the loudspeakers crackled. _"Folks, this is the Captain. I want everyone assembled in the mess as soon as possible." _

Simon and Kaylee stared at each other, their argument lost as they heard the worry in the voice of the usually confident captain.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"_All_ of them?" Kaylee gasped, her face drawn. She was sitting at the main table of the mess hall, her eyes wide in shock. The same shock was on the faces of Simon, Inara and Jayne. Wash, Zoe and Book seemed subdued while Mal stood at the end of the table, his face grim.

"Every place we tried so far," he answered. "Every place that ever knew us, it's gone silent or shown images I'd rather not have burned into my brain. I pretty much figure it's open season on anyone who's given us aid and I'd rather stay out of it as much as I can."

"Damn," Jayne muttered. "I know the Empire loves putting the 'over' in 'overkill' but this is taking it big."

Book pursed his lips. "When your enemy tries to go to ground…give him no ground to go to."

"Can do without the philosophy, preacher," Mal snapped. "Specially seeing as how you're the main reason we're in this mess."

"All this for one JedI?" Zoe mused. "It does seem extreme, Captain."

"Reasons why ain't important now," Mal intoned. "What matters is that we are being hunted. And not like we normally are, either. By this point, you can be sure the word is out on us so we've got every Imperial ship and spy in the sector looking out for us. And after what's happened, no way anyone's gonna risk themselves giving us some shelter."

"Could try the Rebellion," Wash suggested.

"Oh, yeah, cause we ain't hunted enough, might as well fasten the noose tight," Jayne snorted.

"We just can't keep flying forever," Wash fired back. "I know you don't like plans much, Mal, but I think this is a pretty good time to break with tradition."

"He knows."

Everyone turned to where River sat cross-legged in the corner. Her eyes were fixed on Book as she softly spoke. "He knows where the shadows don't linger. He knows the one who can aid him and I. The little giant whose silence must be broken."

Mal slowly turned his face from her to Book. "Preacher," he began. "On the off chance you might actually glean something from that rambling…"

Book bit his lip before slowly nodding. "I think I know who she means, Mal. And I think he can help us."

Jayne leaned in to Zoe. "Just me or you getting a crawling up the spine at this?"

The fact this was the second time today Jayne had asked an actually logical question scared Zoe to no end.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The sight of the planet did little to soothe Mal's worries a few hours later. He couldn't make out any land masses at all through the thick cloud cover and the sight of the place gave him a shiver. "Wash?"

The pilot checked his readings. "Can't get any readings, captain, some sort of interference."

"Jamming?"

"Looks natural but can't tell for sure."

"Can you land us?"

Wash gave him a look as if Mal had asked him if he knew how to walk. Mal smiled at him and nodded. "Take us in." The pilot turned back to the controls and brought the ship into the planet's atmosphere. Mal steeled himself for the regular bumping and shaking but was jarred as the ship rocked unexpectedly. "Wash!"

The pilot was wrestling with the controls. "Trying to keep it steady!" he exclaimed. "Might want to buckle back for an emergency landing!"

"Is that code for crash landing?"

"I'm an optimist, sue me!"

Mal grabbed the comlink. "Folks, this is the captain. Please settle down and buckle in as we may be…emergency crashing soon." He hung up and braced himself against the walls, staring forward. He could see the clouds parting but a thick mist surrounding the sky still, a fog that even _Serenity's_ lights couldn't cut through. Wash was fighting with the control every step of the way. "Come on, baby…come on…don't let daddy down…don't let daddy down…"

"Should I warn Zoe of your belief in parenting skills?" Mal asked.

Wash ignored him as he tightened his grip and pulled back on the main wheel. Without warning, the turbulence ceased as the sky before them cleared to show a wide patch of land aside a huge bog. Wash wasted no time pulling the controls back as he cut back on the engines. There was a loud screeching from the engines as they howled in protest at the sudden move, a howl Mal was sure would be echoed by Kaylee later. In one smooth movement, Wash hit the button to let down the landing gear and fired the retro-engines with the other. There was a bump that nearly knocked Mal loose from his spot and then a shaking before the ship finally settled into the muddy surface.

Wash sat back from the controls and let out a long breath. "I am a leaf," he whispered to himself.

Mal swallowed before slapping a hand on the man's back. "Indeed you are." He grabbed the communicator. "All right, folks, we've landed relatively safe and sound. I'll ask you all to gather up what you need and prepare to disembark but be ready to re-embark should we run into trouble which we all know can be likely."

He sighed as he hung it up and looked out the windows again. Ten seconds and already Dagobah was his least favorite planet in the galaxy.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Gods, this stinks," Simon sniffed as he wiped his nose with a handkerchief.

"No one asked you to come outside, Doc," Mal noted. He was at the head of the expedition, his gun in his hand. Zoe and Jayne were similarly armed and keeping a close eye around them. The rest of the crew followed behind them, although Inara appeared as annoyed as Simon at the mud and dirt caking her boots.

"Oh, yeah, stay alone in the ship in the dark and dank swamp full of who knows what," Wash sardonically noted. "I've seen enough holovids to know how that ends up, Mal."

Simon scowled as his boot slid into a mud patch. "Are we certain this is the right place?"

"If a fellow wanted to hide, good spot to do it," Mal noted. He looked over his shoulder to Book. "This friend of yours close by, preacher?"

Book smiled. "Closer than you'd think, Captain."

"I prefer knowing over thinking, Book."

"Preferred, knowledge is," a gravely voice cut through the air. "Although wise to keep to your thinking, it is."

Mal, Zoe and Jayne spun around, their guns raised at the figure who seemed to have appeared before them. It took a moment for them to adjust their aim as the creature stood less than three feet tall. He was thin with green leathery skin, his face lined with wrinkles and his wide pointed ears drooping a bit. He was clad in a dark tan robe and leaned on a small walking stick. Yet looking at him, Mal could sense some power and experience far greater than the small package he saw.

Simon became aware of River drawing back and moved to her. "River? What is it?"

River hissed as she rubbed her head. "He…he's so…so much. So much to see….so much to hear…" Simon held her as she shook in his arms.

Book moved forward to stand before the figure and bowed. "Master Yoda."

"Master Bookua." A small smile came to the gnome's face. "Good it is to see you alive, old friend."

"And you, Master." Book motioned to Mal. "May I present Captain Malcom Reynolds and his crew."

"Howdy," Mal said in greetings. "No offense to you, sir, but we're kinda pressed here in terms of needing a place to stay." He looked around the bog. "And don't seem like your accommodations can be to our fitting."

"Make do with it, I do," Yoda said. "Come. To my home to talk we will. Feed you as well."

"Great," Wash muttered. "Fried worms on the menu without a doubt."

"Aw, leave him be," Kaylee said, her smile returning. "I kinda like him, he's a cute little guy."

Book had to fight to suppress a laugh at the idea of the revered JedI referred to as "cute." Yoda himself gave Kaylee a look that made her smile disappear. Then the lips of the wizened face turned upward before he began to walk once more and lead the way.

Mal looked over his shoulder at Inara, who was lifting as much of her dress as she could off the ground. "Sure you don't want dinner served to your cabin?" he asked.

She gave him a cool glance. "Since I'm tied up with the rest of you, I might as well find out what the situation is, Captain."

"No skin off my nose," Mal shrugged as he turned back just in time for a branch Jayne had pushed aside to whack him in the face. He stopped in place and wondered yet again why the universe constantly pressed its irony on him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**For those wondering, I got Book's first name from the original screen play for **_**Serenity**_** which had a scene between him and the Operative. Thanks for waiting, all comments welcomed. **


	7. Red Lights

**War and Serenity**

**By Michael Weyer**

**Red Lights**

**I know, a while since I updated but hopefully make up for it a bit here.**

* * *

Ben Kenobi had once described Mos Eisley as the biggest "hive of scum and villainy" Luke would ever see.

Evidentially, Kenobi had never visited Nar Shaddaa.

The city had a thick smell to it and not a pleasant one at that. The huge towers created shadows so even in daytime, it was dark on the streets. At night, the neon glow of a multitude of bars, shops and ships gave it a unique energy, albeit a dark one.

"You take me to the most charming places, Solo," Leia remarked as she gazed out the window of the bar at the large refuse pit below the tower. She, Han, Luke and Chewbacca were at the rear booth of the establishment, Luke fiddling with a small communicator pad.

"You want to find a fast ride, this is the place," Solo said. "I've already got a few feelers out so we should be able to hitch something back to the fleet."

"It'd better not be one of your former 'friends'," Leia said sardonically.

"Relax, we'll get a ride that doesn't ask questions," Han said, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Something wrong?" Leia asked.

The other man shook it off. "Ah, just worried a bit about Lando. The guy helped us out, hated to leave him in the lurch like that."

Luke smiled. "If he's half as good as he thinks he is, he's got the Imperials eating out of his hand by now."

"Good point," Han smiled as Luke pressed a few buttons on his pad. "Okay, I think I've got the secure link set." He placed it down so they could all look down at it. The image blurred before focusing on a white room and Mon Mothma sitting behind a desk. The almost regal elder woman had red hair that was going grey but her face still held the strength that had carried her from a senator to leader of the Alliance. "Ah, Commander Skywalker, Captain Solo, Princess Leia. Good to see you all right."

"Anything the matter?" Luke asked with respect.

"I was going over your initial reports of the meeting with these smugglers," MOthma replied.

"It wasn't a close meeting," Han intoned.

"Perhaps," Mothma said as she pushed some keys on the pad in her office. "However, the description of one of them caught my attention." A smaller image appeared in a window within the pad. It showed an image of a proud black-skinned man in what seemed to be an official pose.

Luke peered at it before his eyes widened in surprise. "That's Shepherd Book!"

"Actually," Mothma said. "That is Derail Bookau, a former Jedi Master."

Han sat up with surprise at that. "That guy was a JedI?"

Mothma nodded as she closed the window. "Yes. I actually met him once at a dinner function. I had thought him killed in the Purges but evidentially he has survived."

"A former JedI in their crew?" Leia frowned. "That can be dangerous for them."

Mothma nodded. "Yes. We have been hearing the Empire attacking many havens for smugglers and putting out a warrant for that crew."

"They must think we escaped with them," Leia sighed.

Mothma shook her head. "No, we have intercepted reports of the Imperials still searching for you. Yet the hunt for this ship _Serenity_ has been given a high priority."

Han frowned. "Huh. I knew Reynolds had a talent for getting himself in trouble but not on a scale like this."

"Regardless of the reasons, it appears the Empire is concentrating many of their resources on locating this ship," MOthma continued. "Which means we should be able to get a vessel to you sooner than we expected."

"ETA?" Luke asked.

"By this afternoon," Mothma said. "General Madine is handling it. He says he knows an old comrade, another Imperial defector who can aid us."

"Here's hoping it works out better than our last ride," Leia couldn't help remarking.

"He has your contact information," Mothma said.

She leaned in to touch the screen. "We'll be in touch as soon as we can."

"Good luck," Mothma said as their communication was disconnected. Luke checked the chronometer on his wrist. "It looks like we have a few hours to kill until they contact us."

"We better stick together," Leia said as she rose to her feet. "We've been here a bit too long, we should relocate to another bar before people notice."

"I doubt they will," Han said as he rose to join her. "People around here know how to keep to their own business." The group headed out into the streets, Chewbacca growling at the poor smell pervading the air. Luke was pacing at the side when he felt something odd. It seemed to tug at the back of his consciousness as he looked around. Leia saw him and frowned. "What is it, Luke?"

"Not sure," he replied. "Just a funny feeling…Kind of like when we met Book."

Han looked around as well, a hand on his blaster. His eyes fell on a figure nearby and widened. "Oh, no."

Chewbacca followed his gaze and let out a groan as he saw the same figure. Leia frowned as she gazed in the same direction. She saw a strikingly beautiful woman nearby with green eyes that seemed to sparkle even from the distance. Her red hair was combed back nicely, fiery red which enhanced her beautiful face. She was clad in dark leather that appeared cheap but the blaster at her hip was newer than it should have been. Her face flickered with recognition at the sight of Han.

She walked over, her boots echoing on the metal ground, her face calm as she sized them up. Luke was struck by her amazing beauty, a mix of innocence and experience. Her green eyes fell on Han and she smiled. "Hello, Solo. Been a while."

Han did not return the smile. "Saffron. Is that still the name you're using?"

She shrugged. "It'll do for now." She looked over at Chewbacca who glowered at her. "You two aren't still holding a grudge, are you?"

"Oh, no, it was only three months in that detention facility, not to mention losing our ship," Han sardonically stated. "That's nothing to carry a grudge over, right?"

"It was just business, Han, you should understand that."

"Hey, I get it, the game and all." Han nodded toward Chewbacca. "But Wookies don't quite take well to getting into captivity." Chewbacca's growl seemed to actually throw Saffron a bit but she recovered quickly.

"Well, it's pretty interesting I meet you right about now," she said. "The thing is, I could use a hand."

Han openly gawked at her. "A hand? After what you did to us, you're actually asking us to help you out of another jam? You're a con artist, Saffron, the kind that give honest crooks like us a bad name." He shook his head as he turned away. "Come on, let's get out of here…"

"Wait," Luke said, putting a hand on Han's arm. "What's the harm in hearing her out?"

"Plenty," Han retorted.

Saffron sighed. "Han, I know you don't have any reason to trust me but I really need some help here. I got in way over my head on a deal and now I've got the Imperials after me."

"Bad for you," Han shrugged. "But no problem of ours."

Saffron leaned in, her face pleading. "Han…come on. If I don't get out of here, I'm dead."

"I repeat my earlier statement of it being bad for you."

Saffron licked her lips. "Han…please, this really isn't what I came for and it's gotten totally out of hand. I can't get out of this myself."

"She's lying," Leia announced, taking in the woman. "I can see it in her eyes."

Han snorted. "Doesn't mean a thing. She's lied so much in her life, her eyes always look like that."

Luke was studying Saffron as the woman seemed to gaze right back at him. Those brilliant green eyes were beautiful, he had to admit. But he also sensed something else in this woman, an inner strength that belied her appearance. Something about her seemed to almost call to him and he found himself asking "Just why are they after you?"

Saffron pursed her lips. "Let's just say I stumbled onto something they'd want bad." She reached into the satchel at her hip to remove a small disk. "Information on a new model of TIE fighter they're getting ready to roll out. Faster, better design and armament to take it to the Rebellion."

Leia frowned. "There have been rumors…" She glanced at Han. "Information like that could be very useful to…certain parties."

Han caught her eye and rolled his own. "Oh, no. No, we are not doing this." Chewbacca growled in agreement, his eyes still hard at Saffron, Han turning to face Leia. "This gal can't be honest if she tried! How do we know that disk has anything other than the latest holo-drama on it?"

"You can check it out yourself," Saffron pressed, her face getting more frantic. "Han, you know me. You think I'd be begging for help if I didn't need it?"

"Only if you were looking to manipulate someone to get their heads on the chopping block instead of yours," Han retorted.

"Han," Leia pressed, moving closer to him. "If there's a chance she's telling the truth…"

"There's a chance of rain on Tatooine, I'm not holding my breath on that."

"Regardless," Leia continued. "If she is telling the truth, we need to know." She arched an eyebrow. "You didn't exactly have the best reputation when you joined the Rebellion either, Han. Why shouldn't we give her the same chance?"

Han could feel Luke's smile behind his back as he took a breath. "Fine, fine. But when she leaves us high and dry, don't come crying to me about it."

Leia moved toward Saffron. "I believe we'd be most interested in whatever information you can share. Maybe you can come with us to discuss it?"

"Lead the way," Saffron said, shuffling her bag on her shoulder. "All I've got is what's in here."

Han smirked. "Guess your latest con left you high and dry?"

She just glared at him as Luke offered a hand. "Hi, I'm Luke."

She took his hand in a firm grasp, smiling softly. 'Saffron, pleased to meet you."

"He won't be before long," Han muttered as the group began to walk along. Chewbacca fell in step behind Saffron, making it clear he'd be ready to grab her if she tried to run. The woman appeared confident as the group walked on, Luke still finding himself staring at this striking woman whose soul seemed to ring out to him.

* * *

This hadn't been the plan but if there was one thing she was used to, it was thinking on her feet. She had intended all along to leak the information of the Interceptors to the Rebellion. That was the plan, after all, to let them think they had a major advantage and reaffirm their faith in their spy network. That would make it so much more easy to manipulate them in the future.

Having Solo around was a problem but she was sure she could handle him. Skywalker…now that was a different case. She could feel his strength in the Force and while she was sure she could hide her own connection, there was always the chance he'd sense it. She'd have to be on her guard, which would make getting close to him more problematic. But she'd do her best as was her job.

She brushed at her hair as she followed them, keeping that cool smile on her face. As much as she'd disliked some of the people she had to do business with, she admitted she rather enjoyed being "Saffron." It was close to her own true personality, able to manipulate people around for her own benefit. She'd need all her skills to keep it going here but was confident she'd pull this off like any other mission she'd been assigned.

She had to. After all, there was no such thing as failure for the Emperor's Hand.

* * *

**So, I was going through some fan forums and thinking of the idea of how Christina Hendricks would make a great Mara Jade. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, the idea of Saffron being one of Mara's covers hit me and was just too good to resist. Hopefully not as long a wait until the next update, all comments welcomed. **


	8. Old Haunts, New Friends

**War and Serenity**

**By Michael Weyer**

**Old Haunts, New Friends**

* * *

The smell was still something Mal wasn't getting used to. He'd never been fond of swamps to begin with, much preferring the open air of more desert planets. At least it was better than valleys. For obvious reasons, he never enjoyed those, the memories of that horrible last battle in his mind constantly.

He was trying to block them out as he stood in the rampway of the ship, staring at the rainy bog before him. It had been a day since they had landed on Dagobah and settled down as best they could. Kaylee, of course, had spent the last few hours fretting constantly over the shape of the engines in such a setting and Wash wasn't much better. It was an excuse to hide here, Mal knew that, but he was willing to embrace that for the moment.

He glanced up as Book came toward him, the elder man looking serene as ever despite the weather. Mal noted the lightsaber now attached to his belt and how oddly fitting it was to see the man formerly of peace so armed. "Preacher," he said in greeting.

"Captain," Book (Mal couldn't think of him by another name) replied. "A credit for your thoughts?"

"Ain't sure they're worth the cash, Preacher," Mal said. "And might have to pay extra for how nasty they are." He shrugged. "Just lost in thought."

"Unfamiliar territory for you according to Inara." Book leaned against the bulk of the ship, looking out at the swamp. "Do you have a plan?"

"Running ain't a plan?"

Book looked at him. "We can't stay here forever."

"I reckon on stretching it long as I can," Mal replied.

Book looked at him carefully. "What happened, Mal?"

The other man turned to him with a frown as Book studied him. "What made you this way? A man just doesn't let his soul die out the way you do without some hardship. You keep putting on the air of a ruthless mercenary but I've seen your real heart beneath the surface."

"Trouble with scratching at the surface all the time, Preacher, is that it ruins the picture."

Book narrowed his eyes. "Don't try to bluff me, boy. Even without being a Jedi, I know someone hiding a secret. So come on. Always feel good to unload."

"Ain't sure about that," Mal said as he looked away. He could feel Book's eyes on him and sighed. "Damn, no way talking outta this, am I?"

Book smiled. "Not from where I'm standing. Come on, Mal, always good to have a clear conscience."

"Daddy said to me that a clear conscience is a sign of a bad memory." Mal was silent for a long moment before turning to walk away. "Sorry, Preacher. But I'm not gonna be bringing up the old wounds today." He turned and made his way back into the ship. Book watched him go with a sad look in his eyes.

"Serenity Valley."

Book turned to see Zoe making her way up the ramp, her expression harder than usual. "Ain't sure who came up with the name," she continued as she walked to the spot Mal had vacated. "Whoever did, he had one twisted sense of humor. It was on a planet called Hera. Mal and I were part of the Imperial garrison sent to put down what was supposed to be a small worker's strike. Two of us were still a bit fresh, first major assignment, all full of vim and vigor." She looked down before speaking. "So it takes little time flat before this 'easy' assignment goes straight to hell as we find out the whole damn planet's in open rebellion against the Empire. Our unit ends up being holed up in a valley that gets surrounded on both sides, working with the rest of what's left of the Imperial forces. We started out with 750 men. Twenty-seven days later, we got down to eighty-nine. Commander got shot and Mal took over, did the job so much better that it got the story started he killed the man."

"Did he?"

"Wouldn't have blamed him if he did, man was a damn fool leading us into that in the first place." Zoe leaned on the wall as she continued. "Back then, Mal believed in the Empire. He believed they were doing good for the galaxy, bringing order to chaos and all that. I didn't buy the party line but I wanted to be a soldier so I followed my orders." She was quiet before speaking. "It was on day twenty-eight that we finally got our backup. A full-on ariel bombardment against everyone on the planet."

"So you were rescued?" Book frowned. "Why did that…"

"I don't mean the opposing forces, Preacher," Zoe said, her face hard. "I mean they bombed the whole planet. Every village, every settlement, every place they could find. Every man, woman and child on the planet, wiped out. They called it 'retributional judgment."" She stepped forward, glaring at Book. "Takes a while for something like that to get pulled off. You know how time-consuming global genocide can be. So for a week, we're still in that valley. Still surrounded by the dead and the dying while the Empire goes about exterminating every living person they can find. And we knew it was happening. You could hear the explosions day and night, unrelenting even without our comm system giving details of the death toll."

She looked to the direction her captain had left in. "Man builds up faith in himself, it can be good, Preacher. He believes he's doing the right thing and assumes the folks above him feel the same. So you can imagine how it was, Book. Imagine how it felt for a man like that to watch that slaughter, to be left behind because his superiors think murdering families is more important than getting care to their soldiers. How it must have felt for him to realize that he'd been dedicating himself to fighting for a government that just wants to rule and doesn't care how many folks have to die because of it."

"It broke him," Book softly said.

Zoe nodded. "Light's been gone from his eyes for six years now. It flashes now and then but…for all purposes, the Mal Reynolds I knew then died in that valley. He left as soon as he could, decided it was better to just handle his own affairs, although sticking it to the Empire now and then is fine. I went with him, figured he'd need someone to keep him on an even keel. He got the boat here and we got the crew and here we all are."

Book was quiet for a moment, taking it all in. "Why name the ship _Serenity_?"

Zoe shrugged. "Imperials wiped pretty much every record of the planet they could when it was done. Mal thought someone should remember it." She gave him a steady look. "Man carries a lot of memories, Book. That's one of his key problems. He hides it but part of him still cares." She narrowed his eyes. "And I care about him. Not like with Wash by any means but still care. So while you may have the best intentions, you get him in a position to get himself hurt again…And I may have to take it out on you."

She walked into the ship leaving Book to process her words.

"Easy the right path never is."

Book looked over to where Yoda was carefully pacing up the rampway. Despite his small size, the Jedi master dominated the air around him, his cane tapping on the metal ramp as he headed up, fixing his gaze on Book. "Push this man hard, you cannot."

"He's a good man, Master Yoda," Book said. "I know he is."

"Perhaps," Yoda allowed. "But difficult his path is. Sense that I do. Push too hard and into wrong direction, you could send." His eyes seemed to darken. "Know that too well, do I."

Book was silent for a long moment. "It's harder out there, Master. It was harder than I expected when the Order fell. I had to do some things I'm not proud of in order to keep myself safe."

"A hard edge you always had, Derrial," Yoda noted. "Passion guided you too often." A soft smile came to his lips. "Yet survived, it helped you did. Sacrifices made, we all have had." He paused before looking away toward his hut. "The girl…You know what she is."

Book nodded somberly. "I felt it when I met her. I can't understand it…"

"I can," Yoda said, his face turning toward Book. "Dark measures the Empire has taken. Darker than I had suspected." He tapped his cane on the rampway. "Hunted, they are. Ready we must be for when they come."

Book studied him. "Will you fight, Master?"

The elder Jedi was silent for a moment. "The Force flows differently than foreseen," he finally spoke. "Time to leave, perhaps it is." He looked back to Book. "For now, prepare we must. For the storm comes to break and ready we must be."

Book nodded with a light smile on his face. "You may find, Master, that once you get back into the swing of things, it rather feels good being back in the fight."

As ever, the Jedi master was impassive but Book sensed a lightness in his spirit as he moved back to his hut. "Rarely good have I ever felt a fight being."

* * *

Even in Nar Shadda, there were some areas no one wanted to go to. Areas so dirty and dangerous that even the most hardened killers gave them a wide berth. This, of course, made them the perfect places to meet with someone when you didn't want to be observed in any way. Even if you didn't like it.

"Are you sure this is the right spot?" Han was asking for the tenth time.

"It's where Mothma said to meet our connection," Leia responded. For once, she could understand Han's feelings. The hallway they were in was cramped with the smell of something she knew she was better off not being identified. She glanced to where Luke was leaning against a wall, his eyes focused on Saffron and told herself he was just keeping an eye if she tried to run.

"Five more minutes and we're out of here," Han declared. "I'll take my chances getting another ride rather than stay here." Chewbacca let out a roar of approval, his heightened senses effected much more by the odor around them.

"We have to stay, Han," Leia stressed. "It's important. Mothma made it clear our contact isn't just a ride, he's got something the Alliance needs."

"Listen, I don't care too much for this alliance," Saffron spoke up. "I just want to get a ride, drop this info off and then I'll go on my way."

"I'm all for that," Han stated, still not trusting the redhead. "But this isn't the place you want to be…"

He was reacting just as he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, his hand going to his holster and pulling out his blaster even as he turned. He found himself staring down the barrel of a larger blaster, held by a man roughly his own age. He was dressed in a long black coat with leather pants and a short-sleeved red shirt. His hair was a short dark brown, his face handsome but intense as he held the gun confidently. "Han Solo," he said.

"John Crichton," Solo responded in the same even tone.

Leia threw up her hands. "Is it possible that just once we can meet someone from your past who _doesn't _want to shoot you on sight?"

The two men ignored her, staring at one another with the held blasters. "So…" Crichton began. "How you been?"

"Can't complain," Han responded, his gun not wavering an inch. "How's your dad?"

"Pretty good. Haven't actually seen him in a bit but heard through the grapevine."

"Good to know." Han paused. "Let's cut the crap, John. You're dead."

"Been getting that a lot," Crichton shrugged.

"I mean it," Han pressed. "Word was your ship got blown to pieces on a smuggling run."

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Crichton said. He glanced to where Chewbacca was hefting his crossbow, ready to aim it at the man. A whining sound got their attention and everyone looked to the hall behind Crichton as a woman stepped forward. She was clad in a similar black leather outfit and long coat, her face beautiful but serious, long black hair pulled in a ponytail. Her hands held a rather large rifle with a demeanor that showed she knew how to use it. Leia couldn't help but tense as the woman might as well worn a sign saying "Imperial Trained."

It took a moment to realize the large shape behind her was a being and not a piece of the wall. He was a Luxan, if Leia remembered the species right, almost as tall as Chewbacca, with protruding brow ridges that extended around the sides of his head, his nose covered with a plate, his long chin coming to a point and a set of tentacles hanging from his head. His face had a long beard that was partly braided and tattoos were on his face. He held a long rifle of his own, his face serious as he took them in.

"Oh, why must we suffer with such things?" Threepio moaned out as Artoo whistled an agreement.

Saffron was frowning at the other woman. "Don't I know you?"

"I hardly think so," the brunette replied coldly.

"Are you certain? You look very familiar. Did we run a deal together on Felucia?" The brunette just narrowed her eyes and tightened the grip on her rifle.

Realizing things were about to get tense, Luke stepped forward, holding up his hands. "Easy, easy. Are you the one Mothma said would meet us?"

"We are," Crichton said, slowly raising his gun. "John Crichton, formerly of the Dantooine space force. Han and I go back a ways."

"Apparently, not pleasant ones," the woman behind him said in a cool accent.

"Easy, Aeryn" Crichton said. "D'argo, put it down." The Luxan seemed uncertain but complied, his eyes never leaving Chewbacca's. Crichton turned to Leia. "I assume you're Leia?"

"I am," she confirmed. "Is your ship nearby?"

"It is," Crichton said. "Come on, we'd better get there fast." He pocketed his gun as he turned to lead down the hallway. Aeryn and D'Argo backed up to let the others go past before coming behind them, making it clear they were keeping a close watch. Aeryn was especially watching Saffron, as if sensing something wrong about the woman. Han was moving up so he could walk right by Crichton's side, a hand at his blaster. "So what's the story, John?" he asked. "What happened to you?"

"Let's just say I got blasted all right," Crichton replied. "But it wasn't apart, it was through some spatial portal, to the edges of the Outer Rim. Found myself in the middle of a rebellion of their own there. And that's also where we found Moya."

"Who?"

"You'll see," Crichton stated as he led the way to another hallway where a large doorway stood before them. "You should get ready. This can be a bit disconcerting."

"What are you…" Han stopped as they entered a large hanger bay that housed the strangest looking ship he'd ever laid eyes on. It was pointed with what appeared to be a pair of long appendages sweeping behind it. It was larger than _Serenity_ but its hull appeared more like skin than metal, smooth and shimmering in the dim light. As they walked in, a young female stepped down the rampway, her skin and hair grey with black markings around her eyes, her furry outfit fitting her well. "I didn't know we had an entourage coming," she purred in a silky voice.

"Make sure Pilot is set, Chianna," Crichton stated as he led the way into the ship. "We want to get out of here quick."

"What the frell is this?" The passengers saw a figure on a small hover-chair moving toward them. He was quite short, barely two feet tall, an aquatic being wearing regal robes. "Why was I not consulted on taking on new passengers?"

"Because we prefer to imagine you don't exist," D'argo growled at him.

"Hello," Threepio stated as he stepped forward. "I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations."

"Dominar Rygel XVI," the creature returned. "Former ruler of the Hynerian Empire with its 600 billion subjects until my bastard of a cousin overthrew me!"

Han, Luke and Leia couldn't help but notice how Crichton, Aeryn and D'argo were mouthing the last few words to themselves, indicating this wasn't the first time Rygel had made this speech. They made their way down the hallways, Luke reaching out a hand to rub the walls around them. "This…isn't right," he whispered. He was so enthralled he failed to notice Saffron looking about with her own uneasy gaze. He looked over to Crichton. "This ship….it wasn't built…It was grown."

Han looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"He's right," Crichton said. "Moya is alive."

Han stared at him in disbelief. "You're kidding me, right? A living ship?"

Crichton nodded. "It's what happened." His face became somber. "There's some races out there, beyond the Rim. They have tech so advanced, you can't imagine it." He motioned around. "Moya belonged to a race who, frankly, make the Empire look like a batch of kid scouts. "D'argo, Rygel, Chianna and a couple others were prisoners who broke out and stole it, used the drive to bring themselves back to the main systems."

"And her?" Leia nodded toward Aeryn.

"It's not important now," Aeryn snapped. "If we're going to leave, it should be now."

There was a crackle as a voice echoed over the loudspeakers. "_Crichton, do you hear me_?" the voice was soft yet also a bit of command to it, female but also powerful.

Crichton moved to a comlink and pressed on it. "What is it, Zhaan?"

_"Stark is coming."_

"Good, we can finally take off." Crichton paused and frowned. "Wait a minute, when did he leave the ship?"

_"I believe there is a more pressing issue than that," _the woman named Zaahn replied. Crichton and Aeryn exchanged looks before running to the rear of the ship. Han and Chewie exchanged their own looks before racing to follow them, Leia right behind, ignoring Luke's calls to her.

Coming to the rampway, their weapons out, Crichton and Aeryn stopped in place. Before them was a man in a ragged outfit with a metal plate over one side of his face, giving a wave at them as he knelt on the ground. He was surrounded by a squad of stormtroopers, who all had their rifles aimed at the ship. Beside the kneeling figure was a tall man with an intense expression on his handsome face, his hair and beard black as his uniform. "Crichton," he intoned. "And Officer Sun."

"Crais." Crichton looked more annoyed than worried about this. His eyes fell on the kneeling man. "Stark, what have we told you about going off on your own?"

"It's fun?" the man shrugged.

Crichton looked to Crais, his expression softer than one might expect. "Seriously, Crais, you've got to get a hobby. Stamp collecting, maybe. You need something besides just hunting us."

Crais was not amused. "You have no idea how many credits it took to bribe the right contacts and find out where you were going. But it's worth it." His eyes flickered over their shoulders at the newcomers and he stiffened in surprise. "Well, well. The Princess Leia Organa." His lips turned upward slightly. "It appears my superiors will be far more forgiving of my lack of success so far."

Han glanced at Chewbacca. "So this is how it feels to be an innocent bystander." His co-pilot grunted in agreement.

The Imperial officer was returning his gaze to Crichton. "I would prefer taking you in alive, Crichton. But believe me, seeing you dead would more than balance the scales."

Crichton rolled his eyes upward. "For crying out loud, Crais, how many times do I have to explain this? What happened to your brother was an accident!"

"And as I've told you numerous times, it does not matter," Crais snapped. "What matters is that he is dead and at your hands, which is one more reason I'm going to take a great deal of satisfaction in this moment." He placed his arms behind his back. "Now, are you going to come quietly or meet my expectations and make this difficult?"

"Difficult is your way, Crais," Aeryn snapped. "You always found it easier to burn a village rather than work to find the one person you were searching for."

"You wound me, Officer Sun."

"Not yet," she growled in a way that would make D'argo proud.

The flash of ozone crackled, causing Crais to whip his head around in time to see a blur erupt from the rampway. Luke leapt forward, his lightsaber flashing to cut two troopers down. The others were startled before firing, Luke ducking the blast bolts while raising his blade to deflect two others. While startled by the young man's sudden attack, Crichton and Aeryn were quick to take advantage, raising their guns to fire away. Crais instantly ducked behind some crates as blaster bolts singed around him. Stark was busy crawling over to get up the rampway as Chewbacca and Han pulled out their weapons to fire at the troopers.

Crichton was backing into the ship as he fired. "Pilot!" he yelled out. "Fire it up and get us out of here!" On his command, the ship began rumbling as the group moved back into the ship, Luke leaping onto the closing ramp as it began to take off. Crichton and Aeryn were running down the hallways, Han following. "Luke, make sure Leia and Saffron are okay!" he called over his shoulder. The young man nodded as he moved to a side corridor. Han sped up to catch up to Crichton. "Still making friends everywhere, John."

"It was an accident!" Crichton snapped. "My ship got out of control, crashed into someone else, no idea Crais was his brother but he blames me still."

"He always was full of himself," Aeryn noted as they made their way down the halls and into a large chamber. Even after all the odd things he'd seen in his travels, Han had to stare in disbelief at the center of the room. It housed what looked like a massive console that surrounded a scaly creature, its tentacles dancing over the buttons and switches. Han saw no legs visible and it even looked like the creature was bonded to the walls of the ship. "You have got to be kidding me."

"I couldn't make it up if I tried," Crichton said as he looked at the creature. "Pilot, status."

The creature was staring intently at his screens as his tentacles moved across the console. "A Star Destroyer in orbit, TIE fighters en route," it intoned in a surprisingly high voice. "Taking evasive maneuvers already." Crichton nodded as he and Aeryn bolted toward the door. Giving one more look at the creature, Han began to follow them. He saw Luke coming down the hallway but pausing as the two figures raced past him. "Leia and Saffron are in quarters," he told Han. "What's going on?"

"I'll give you notes as soon as I figure it out," the smuggler snapped as he chased Crichton and Aeryn down the wide and smooth halls of the ship. They finally ended in what appeared to be the bridge, a wide viewport showing the stars as Moya exited the planet's atmosphere. At a console stood a tall and beautiful woman, her skin bald and seeming to glisten, light playing off her bald head. "We have forty seconds until interception," she said in a calm voice.

"Weapons still off-line?" Crichton asked as he moved to the console with her.

The blue woman nodded solemnly. "Moya had to recharge after our last conflict."

"And the hits just keep on coming," Crichton sighed.

The blue woman looked over to Luke and smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Luke Skywalker."

He stared in surprise. "Who…How did you…"

"I am Zhaan," she bowed her head. "We shall have much to talk about soon."

Crichton pressed a button. "Pilot…"

"Initiating starbust now," the alien creature intoned.

Crichton and Aeryn gripped the consoles before them, glancing at Han, Luke and Chewbacca. "You might want to hang on," Crichton warned. "This…is gonna be a bumpy ride."

Han snorted. "I was doing hyperspace jumps before you could-"

What he would have said was cut off as the pointed ends of the exterior of the ship began to glow and flowed together. In a blazing flash of light, Moya shot forward with a speed far greater than any mere hyperspace jump. Luke, Han and Chewbacca were sent flying back against the wall as the ship rocketed away. In the private room they had hastily been led to, Leia and Saffron both yelled in surprise as they fell onto the floor, slamming into one another. In the mechanical bay, Artoo's whistle echoed across the halls as he and Threepio crashed onto the walls. The crew of Moya simply hung on as the initial push faded.

Han just lay there, eyes shut and a hand over his face. "I'm not even gonna say it," he muttered to Chewbacca. "You know exactly how I feel about this."

* * *

**Farscape owned by Hallmark Entertainment. All comments welcomed. **


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